2000
#12,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,265
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Rasch
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the Middle High German word "rasch," meaning quick or vigorous.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,300 Americans carry the last name Rasch. That puts it at #14,345 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,024 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rasch 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
2.3K
1 in 149,024
Census rank
#14,345
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,006 bearers of the surname Rasch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14345th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rasch, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rasch
The surname Rasch originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The earliest known spelling of the name was "Rasche," which is a derivative of the Old German word "rasc," meaning "quick" or "swift." This suggests that the name was initially bestowed upon someone who exhibited a nimble or agile nature.
The Rasch surname can be traced back to various regions across Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia. It is believed that the name first emerged in the 12th century, with records indicating its presence in various medieval manuscripts and documents from that period.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the Rasch name can be found in the Annals of Augsburg, a chronicle of events in the city of Augsburg, dating back to the 13th century. The annals reference a certain "Johannes Rasche," who was a prominent citizen of Augsburg during that time.
In the 14th century, the Rasch name gained further prominence with the rise of a noble family from the region of Westphalia. The Rasch von Rittberg family held significant influence and power in the area, with several members serving as knights and military leaders during the Middle Ages.
One notable figure from this family was Friedrich Rasch von Rittberg (1380-1448), who fought alongside the Teutonic Knights in their campaigns against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. His exploits and bravery on the battlefield were well-documented in historical records of the time.
Another prominent individual bearing the Rasch surname was Johann Rasch (1540-1612), a German humanist scholar and philosopher from Saxony. His works on moral philosophy and ethics were widely acclaimed during the Renaissance period, and he held a professorship at the University of Leipzig.
In the realm of the arts, the Rasch name was also represented by the German painter and engraver, Georg Philipp Rasch (1680-1748). Born in Nuremberg, his intricate etchings and engravings depicting biblical scenes and historical events were highly sought after by collectors across Europe.
As the Rasch surname spread throughout Germany and beyond, it also began appearing in various place names, such as the town of Raschau in Saxony, which likely derived its name from an early settler with the Rasch surname.
While the Rasch name has its roots firmly planted in German history, it has since been carried across the globe by numerous descendants, ensuring that the legacy of this ancient surname continues to endure.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rasch
Among Census respondents with the surname Rasch, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rasch 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 Rasch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 1,796
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 104
- Two or more races2.8% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 29
- Black or African American0.9% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rasch
Rasch 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
#12,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,457
+192 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 48 places
2020
#14,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,006
-451 bearers (-18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,748 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,549 | 2,265 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,597 | 2,457 | 0.83 | +192 bearers (+8.5%) | Down 48 places |
| 2020 | #14,345 | 2,006 | 0.67 | -451 bearers (-18.4%) | Down 1,748 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 Rasch 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 | #12,597 | #14,345 | -13.9% |
| Count | 2,457 | 2,006 | -18.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.67 | -19.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rasch bearers went from 2,457 to 2,006 (-18.4% change). The surname moved down 1,748 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,597 to #14,345.
FAQ
Rasch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rasch?
Name Census estimates that about 2,300 living Americans carry the surname Rasch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,024 residents.
How common is Rasch?
Rasch ranks #14,345 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,006 people with the surname Rasch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,300), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Rasch.
Has Rasch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rasch went from 2,457 recorded bearers to 2,006. That is a decrease of 451 (-18.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,597 to #14,345.
What does the Census say about the background of Rasch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rasch, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Rasch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (1,796 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rasch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Rasch (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 Rasch mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the Middle High German word "rasch," meaning quick or vigorous. 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 Rasch (0.67 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 common is the surname Rasch?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Rasch on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.