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

Rall, 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 Rall surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rall in America

Rall is the 11555th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rall surname appeared 2,720 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rall.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rall to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rall

The surname Rall has its origins in Germany, first appearing in records from the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "rolle," meaning "roller" or "cylinder," suggesting an occupational name for someone who worked with rolls or cylinders, perhaps a baker or miller.

The earliest recorded mention of the Rall surname can be found in church records from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the northern Bavaria region of Germany. In 1567, a Hans Rall was listed as a resident of the town, indicating the name's presence in that region during the late 16th century.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Rall name continued to be found in various German towns and villages, with some notable individuals emerging. In 1683, Johann Georg Rall was born in Hesse, Germany, and later became a highly respected Lutheran theologian and rector of the University of Giessen.

As the surname spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Rahl, Rahl, and Rall. In the late 18th century, a Johann Rall (1732-1776) from Hesse served as a Hessian officer in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War, gaining recognition for his role in the Battle of Trenton in 1776.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Rall (1803-1878), a German painter and lithographer from Nuremberg, renowned for his landscapes and city views. His works can be found in various museums and collections across Europe.

In the 19th century, a Prussian military officer named Gustav von Rall (1823-1897) distinguished himself during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, earning him the prestigious Pour le Mérite military order.

As German immigration to the United States and other parts of the world increased in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Rall surname spread to new regions, with several individuals making significant contributions in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rall

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

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 Rall 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rall has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Rall was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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