2000
#9,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,188
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Rank
An occupational surname referring to someone who operated a ring-making machine or worked at such a machine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,480 Americans carry the last name Rank. That puts it at #10,121 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,493 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rank 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rank with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,493
Census rank
#10,121
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,035 bearers of the surname Rank in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10121st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rank, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rank
The surname RANK is of Germanic origin, derived from the Middle High German word "ranc" meaning "slender, lithe, or supple." It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a person who was particularly agile or nimble, possibly a dancer or acrobat. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in regions of present-day Germany and Switzerland.
One of the earliest documented references to the surname RANK can be found in the medieval German epic poem "Nibelungenlied," written around 1200 AD. The name appears in various forms, such as "Ranke" and "Ranken," suggesting its widespread use in that era. Additionally, records from the city of Nuremberg in the 14th century mention individuals with the surname RANK.
In the 15th century, the name RANK appeared in the tax records of the town of Biberach in southern Germany. These records provide valuable insight into the prevalence of the surname in that particular region during that time period. Furthermore, the RANK surname was also found in the records of the University of Heidelberg, indicating its presence among the educated class.
One notable individual with the surname RANK was Johannes Rank (1484-1551), a German physician and botanist who contributed significantly to the study of medicinal plants. Another prominent figure was Johann Rank (1653-1709), a German Baroque painter known for his religious works and portraits.
In the 18th century, Johann Nepomuk Rank (1735-1811) was a renowned Austrian paleontologist and mineralogist who made significant contributions to the field of natural history. His work on fossil plant classification is still recognized today.
Moving forward, Otto Rank (1884-1939) was an influential Austrian psychoanalyst and writer who worked closely with Sigmund Freud. He is best known for his theories on birth trauma and the concept of the "life lie."
The surname RANK has also been associated with notable figures in literature and the arts. For instance, Katharine Rank (1891-1972) was a British novelist and playwright who wrote several successful plays during the early 20th century.
While the surname RANK originated in German-speaking regions, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by individuals and families who migrated to different parts of the world over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rank
Among Census respondents with the surname Rank, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rank 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 Rank surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 2,797
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 93
- Two or more races2.7% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 23
- Black or African American0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rank
Rank 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
#9,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,339
+151 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 342 places
2020
#10,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,035
-304 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,374 | 3,188 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,716 | 3,339 | 1.13 | +151 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 342 places |
| 2020 | #10,121 | 3,035 | 1.02 | -304 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 405 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 Rank 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 | #9,716 | #10,121 | -4.2% |
| Count | 3,339 | 3,035 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.02 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rank bearers went from 3,339 to 3,035 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 405 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,716 to #10,121.
FAQ
Rank surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rank?
Name Census estimates that about 3,480 living Americans carry the surname Rank. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,493 residents.
How common is Rank?
Rank ranks #10,121 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,035 people with the surname Rank. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,480), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Rank.
Has Rank become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rank went from 3,339 recorded bearers to 3,035. That is a decrease of 304 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,716 to #10,121.
What does the Census say about the background of Rank?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rank, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Rank in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (2,797 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rank appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Rank (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 Rank mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who operated a ring-making machine or worked at such a machine. 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 Rank (1.02 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 Americans have the surname Rank?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.