2000
#6,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,488
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.66
Rare Last name
Racine
A French topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a group of roots or a root cellar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,190 Americans carry the last name Racine. That puts it at #7,119 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,041 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Racine 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
5.2K
1 in 66,041
Census rank
#7,119
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,526 bearers of the surname Racine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7119th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Racine, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Racine
The surname Racine has its origin in France, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "racine," meaning "root," which was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who lived near the roots of a tree or near the base of a hill or mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Racine can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval cartulary from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, France, dating back to the late 12th century. This document mentions a certain "Robertus de Racine" in the year 1189.
During the Middle Ages, the name Racine was predominantly concentrated in the regions of Île-de-France and Normandy, particularly in the areas around Paris and Rouen. The variant spellings "Racyne" and "Racynne" were also commonly used during this period.
In the 16th century, the surname Racine gained prominence with the birth of the renowned French dramatist and poet, Jean Racine (1639-1699), who is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in French literature. His tragic plays, such as "Phèdre" and "Andromaque," have left an indelible mark on the literary landscape.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Racine was Louis Racine (1692-1763), a French botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris.
In the 19th century, the Racine family played a prominent role in the development of the city of Racine, Wisconsin, in the United States. The city was named after the French explorer and fur trader, Jacques Racine, who was believed to have established a trading post in the area in the late 17th century.
Among other notable individuals with the surname Racine are the French philosopher and theologian, Joseph Racine (1588-1639), and the Canadian politician and lawyer, Marcel Racine (1901-1973), who served as a member of the Senate of Canada.
While the surname Racine has its roots in France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and other countries with significant French influence or immigration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Racine
Among Census respondents with the surname Racine, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Racine 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 Racine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.1% · 3,625
- Black or African American8.3% · 375
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 213
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 155
- Two or more races2.8% · 128
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Racine
Racine 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
#6,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,836
+348 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Down 34 places
2020
#7,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,526
-310 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 186 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,899 | 4,488 | 1.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,933 | 4,836 | 1.64 | +348 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 34 places |
| 2020 | #7,119 | 4,526 | 1.51 | -310 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 186 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 Racine 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 | #6,933 | #7,119 | -2.7% |
| Count | 4,836 | 4,526 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 1.51 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Racine bearers went from 4,836 to 4,526 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 186 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,933 to #7,119.
FAQ
Racine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Racine?
Name Census estimates that about 5,190 living Americans carry the surname Racine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,041 residents.
How common is Racine?
Racine ranks #7,119 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,526 people with the surname Racine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,190), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Racine.
Has Racine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Racine went from 4,836 recorded bearers to 4,526. That is a decrease of 310 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,933 to #7,119.
What does the Census say about the background of Racine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Racine, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.3%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Racine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.1% (3,625 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Racine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.1%), Black (8.3%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Racine (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 Racine mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a group of roots or a root cellar. 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 Racine (1.51 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 Racine?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.