Rastus
A diminutive English form of a name derived from Rastus or Erastus, an ancient Roman surname.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Rastus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rastus today is around 111 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rastus births was 1912 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rastus. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Rastus is about 111 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rastus' were born before 1925.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rastus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1912
10 babies that year
Average age
111
years old
1934 SSA rank
#4,100
Tracked since 1880
Origin
Meaning and history of Rastus
The given name Rastus is an English diminutive form derived from the Germanic name Rodestus. The earliest known origin of the name can be traced back to the Old German word "rauden," which means "to clear land." The name was commonly used in medieval England and parts of Northern Europe during the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, the name Rastus appeared in several historical records and documents in England and Germany. It was particularly prevalent among peasants and farmers, likely due to its association with the clearing of land for agriculture. The name gained popularity during this period, and variations such as Rodus, Rasto, and Rastyn were also used.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Rastus was Rastus of Ipswich, an English farmer who lived in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was Rastus the Scribe, a monk from the Benedictine monastery in Cologne, Germany, who lived in the mid-13th century and was renowned for his calligraphy work.
In the 16th century, the name Rastus was mentioned in several works of literature, including the play "The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare. The character of Grumio, a servant, is referred to as "Rastus" in one of the scenes.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Rastus was less common but still appeared in historical records. One notable individual was Rastus Cromwell, a distant cousin of Oliver Cromwell, who served as a captain in the English Civil War.
In the 19th century, the name Rastus gained some popularity in the United States, particularly among African American communities. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Rastus Brooks, a former slave who became a prominent businessman and community leader in Georgia after the Civil War.
People
Rastus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rastus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rastus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rastus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rastus going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Rastus a common name?
We classify Rastus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 111 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rastus most popular?
The single biggest year for Rastus was 1912, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rastus is about 111 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rastus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rastus in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.