Find out how popular the last name Raass is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Raass.

Raass, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Raass surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raass in America

Raass is the 150452nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raass surname appeared 109 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Raass.

The history of the last name Raass

The surname RAASS is believed to have originated in Germany during the late 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "rass," which meant a swift stream or a torrent of water. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near a rapidly flowing river or creek.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RAASS surname can be found in a church registry from the town of Oberhausen in the Rhineland region of Germany, dated 1597. The entry lists a "Johannes Raass" as a resident of the town.

In the 17th century, the RAASS name began to spread beyond its origins in the Rhineland as families migrated to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. A notable early bearer was Hans Raass (1628-1698), a merchant and landowner from the town of Ulm in southern Germany.

The RAASS surname also appears in several historical documents from the 18th and 19th centuries. For example, a Johann Raass (1742-1812) is recorded as a member of the city council in the town of Erfurt in central Germany.

One of the most prominent figures with the RAASS surname was Karl Raass (1892-1964), a German chemist and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of synthetic rubber during World War II. His innovations helped to address shortages of natural rubber in Germany during the war years.

Another notable bearer of the RAASS name was Hilda Raass (1876-1945), a German artist and painter who was known for her landscape and still life works. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and had several of her paintings exhibited in galleries across Germany and Austria.

In the 19th century, the RAASS surname spread to other parts of Europe and even to North America as families emigrated from Germany. For instance, a Jakob Raass (1815-1887) is recorded as having settled in the city of Philadelphia in the United States in the 1850s.

While the RAASS surname is not among the most common in Germany or other parts of the world, it has a long and interesting history dating back several centuries. The name's origins can be traced back to an Old German word related to flowing water, reflecting the early bearers' likely proximity to rivers or streams.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raass

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Raass.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Raass was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Raass was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Raass, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!