2000
#23,547
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,005
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Railsback
A locational surname referring to a person living near or by a rail fence or barrier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,089 Americans carry the last name Railsback. That puts it at #26,962 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 314,742 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Railsback 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
1.1K
1 in 314,742
Census rank
#26,962
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
950
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 950 bearers of the surname Railsback in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26962nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Railsback, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Railsback
The surname Railsback is of English origin and is derived from a locational name. It is believed to have originated from a place called "Rowlsback" or "Rowlesback" in Lancashire, England, during the late medieval period.
The surname is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hreol" or "hreols," meaning "reel" or "bobbin," and "bæc," meaning "back" or "ridge." This suggests that the name may have originated from a geographic feature or a place where reels or bobbins were produced or used.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from the late 13th century, where it appears as "de Rollesbach." This spelling variation indicates the locational origin of the name.
In the 16th century, the surname appears in various records with different spellings, such as "Rawlsbacke," "Rawlesbacke," and "Rawlisbeck." These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time and the influence of local dialects.
One notable bearer of the Railsback surname was John Railsback, who was born in England around 1630. He emigrated to America and settled in Virginia, where he and his descendants played a significant role in the early history of the colony.
Another prominent figure was Samuel Railsback, an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois from 1967 to 1977. He was born in 1932 and was known for his role in the impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon.
In the 19th century, the Railsback family had a presence in various parts of the United States, including Illinois, Indiana, and Kansas. One notable member was Charles Railsback, born in 1844 in Indiana, who served as a Union soldier during the American Civil War.
The surname Railsback has also been associated with several notable academics and scholars. For instance, George Railsback, born in 1908 in Illinois, was a distinguished geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossils and sedimentary rocks.
Another individual with the Railsback surname was Mary Railsback, born in 1937 in Illinois, who was a prominent educator and advocate for special education programs in the United States.
Throughout its history, the surname Railsback has maintained its English roots and has been carried by individuals in various professions, from politicians and soldiers to academics and educators, across different parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Railsback
Among Census respondents with the surname Railsback, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Railsback 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 Railsback surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 875
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 38
- Two or more races3.1% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Railsback
Railsback 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
#24,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,034
+29 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 713 places
2020
#26,962
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 950
-84 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 2,702 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,547 | 1,005 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,260 | 1,034 | 0.35 | +29 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 713 places |
| 2020 | #26,962 | 950 | 0.32 | -84 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 2,702 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 Railsback 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 | #24,260 | #26,962 | -11.1% |
| Count | 1,034 | 950 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.32 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Railsback bearers went from 1,034 to 950 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 2,702 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,260 to #26,962.
FAQ
Railsback surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Railsback?
Name Census estimates that about 1,089 living Americans carry the surname Railsback. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 314,742 residents.
How common is Railsback?
Railsback ranks #26,962 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 950 people with the surname Railsback. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,089), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Railsback.
Has Railsback become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Railsback went from 1,034 recorded bearers to 950. That is a decrease of 84 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,260 to #26,962.
What does the Census say about the background of Railsback?
Among Census respondents with the surname Railsback, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Railsback in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (875 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Railsback appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Railsback (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 Railsback mean?
A locational surname referring to a person living near or by a rail fence or barrier. 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 Railsback (0.32 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 Railsback?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.