2000
#4,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,860
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.91
Rare Last name
Rash
An English nickname for a person with a rash or skin eruption, or for an impetuous individual.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,215 Americans carry the last name Rash. That puts it at #4,786 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,723 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rash 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 Rash with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.2K
1 in 41,723
Census rank
#4,786
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,164 bearers of the surname Rash in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4786th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rash, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rash
The surname Rash is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy in northern France, likely during the 11th or 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "rasche," meaning rash or impulsive, potentially describing a quick-tempered or impetuous individual.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rash can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this historical document, there is a reference to a Norman landowner named Radulfus Rasse, which is believed to be an early variation of the Rash surname.
During the Middle Ages, the name Rash appeared in various records and manuscripts across Europe, often associated with individuals hailing from the Normandy region of France or those of Norman descent. In the 13th century, a notable figure named Richard Rash was recorded as a prominent citizen in the town of Rouen, Normandy.
The earliest known bearer of the Rash surname in England was Sir John Rash, a knight who fought alongside King Richard I during the Third Crusade in the late 12th century. He was granted lands in Oxfordshire upon his return, and the name Rash became established in that region.
Another notable individual with the Rash surname was William Rash, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Somerset, England, in the 15th century. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and established several charitable institutions in the region.
In the 16th century, the name Rash was associated with a prominent family from the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. One member of this family, Thomas Rash (1542-1611), was a respected scholar and tutor who taught at the local grammar school attended by William Shakespeare.
During the 17th century, the Rash surname gained prominence in Scotland, with several families bearing the name settled in the Highlands and Lowlands. One notable figure from this period was Robert Rash (1637-1704), a Scottish philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the field of moral philosophy.
Throughout history, the Rash surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Rashe, Rasshe, and Rayshe, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations of the name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rash
Among Census respondents with the surname Rash, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rash 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 Rash surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 6,180
- Black or African American6.1% · 437
- Two or more races3.7% · 268
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 205
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rash
Rash 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
#4,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,769
-91 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Down 385 places
2020
#4,786
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,164
-605 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 2.40
Rank movement Down 221 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,180 | 7,860 | 2.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,565 | 7,769 | 2.63 | -91 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 385 places |
| 2020 | #4,786 | 7,164 | 2.40 | -605 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 221 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 Rash 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 | #4,565 | #4,786 | -4.8% |
| Count | 7,769 | 7,164 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.63 | 2.40 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rash bearers went from 7,769 to 7,164 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 221 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,565 to #4,786.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rash
FAQ
Rash surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rash?
Name Census estimates that about 8,215 living Americans carry the surname Rash. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,723 residents.
How common is Rash?
Rash ranks #4,786 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.40 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 7,164 people with the surname Rash. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,215), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.40 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 Rash.
Has Rash become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rash went from 7,769 recorded bearers to 7,164. That is a decrease of 605 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,565 to #4,786.
What does the Census say about the background of Rash?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rash, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Rash in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (6,180 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rash appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Black (6.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Rash (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 Rash mean?
An English nickname for a person with a rash or skin eruption, or for an impetuous individual. 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 Rash (2.40 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 Rash?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.