2000
#13,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,025
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Raasch
A German occupational surname referring to a quick or vigorous person, derived from the Middle High German "rasch".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,147 Americans carry the last name Raasch. That puts it at #15,126 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,643 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raasch surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 159,643
Census rank
#15,126
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,872 bearers of the surname Raasch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15126th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raasch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raasch
The surname Raasch originates from Germany, with its earliest recorded references dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word 'rasch,' meaning 'swift' or 'quick,' potentially indicating a person's agility or speed.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Raasch name can be found in the historical records of the town of Lübeck, located in northern Germany, where a Johann Raasch was mentioned in a document from 1567. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during the late medieval period.
In the 17th century, the Raasch surname appeared in various areas of Brandenburg and Saxony, particularly in the cities of Berlin and Leipzig. Notable individuals from this era include the German painter Johann Gottlieb Raasch (1701-1781), known for his landscapes and architectural works.
As the Raasch family spread across Germany, variations in spelling emerged, such as Rasch, Raasche, and Raasche. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local scribes' interpretations.
In the 18th century, the Raasch name gained prominence in the city of Hamburg, where several members of the family were involved in the maritime trade. One notable figure was Carl Raasch (1738-1812), a successful merchant and shipowner who contributed significantly to the city's economic prosperity.
During the 19th century, the Raasch family continued to thrive in various parts of Germany, with individuals making their mark in various fields. One such individual was the German philosopher and educator Friedrich Wilhelm Raasch (1810-1884), who advocated for educational reforms and authored several works on pedagogy.
As German immigration increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Raasch surname spread to other parts of the world, particularly North America and Australia. Among the notable individuals from this period was August Raasch (1866-1945), a German-American architect who designed numerous buildings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Throughout history, the Raasch surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, merchants, philosophers, and architects. While the name's origins may lie in the concept of swiftness or quickness, the Raasch family has left an indelible mark across various regions and fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raasch
Among Census respondents with the surname Raasch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Raasch bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Raasch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 1,737
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 49
- Two or more races2.5% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raasch
Raasch appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,913
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,985
-40 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,189 places
2020
#15,126
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,872
-113 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 213 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,724 | 2,025 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,913 | 1,985 | 0.67 | -40 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 1,189 places |
| 2020 | #15,126 | 1,872 | 0.63 | -113 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 213 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Raasch surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,913 | #15,126 | -1.4% |
| Count | 1,985 | 1,872 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.63 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raasch bearers went from 1,985 to 1,872 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 213 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,913 to #15,126.
FAQ
Raasch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raasch?
Name Census estimates that about 2,147 living Americans carry the surname Raasch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,643 residents.
How common is Raasch?
Raasch ranks #15,126 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,872 people with the surname Raasch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,147), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Raasch.
Has Raasch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raasch went from 1,985 recorded bearers to 1,872. That is a decrease of 113 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,913 to #15,126.
What does the Census say about the background of Raasch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raasch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Raasch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (1,737 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raasch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Raasch (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Raasch mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a quick or vigorous person, derived from the Middle High German "rasch". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Raasch (0.63 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Raasch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.