2000
#16,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,569
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Rast
An English habitational surname derived from a place name with that spelling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,535 Americans carry the last name Rast. That puts it at #20,108 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 223,293 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rast 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
1.5K
1 in 223,293
Census rank
#20,108
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,339 bearers of the surname Rast in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20108th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rast, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rast
The surname Rast is of English origin, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "rest," which referred to a place where cattle would rest or graze. The name was likely first used as a topographic surname, denoting someone who lived near such a resting place for livestock.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, a census-like document compiled in 1273. This record mentions a person named Richard Rast, indicating that the surname was already in use at that time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Reste, Ruste, and Rust, reflecting the phonetic variations common in medieval England. These alternative spellings were often used interchangeably with Rast.
The surname is also associated with certain place names in England, such as Restall and Rustall, which may have influenced the development of the surname in some cases.
One notable bearer of the Rast surname was John Rast, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the 16th century. He owned extensive properties in Cambridgeshire and played a significant role in the local economy.
Another individual of note was William Rast, a renowned architect born in 1680. He was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London during the early 18th century, leaving a lasting impact on the city's architectural landscape.
In the literary world, the name Rast is associated with Mary Rast, a British author who lived from 1742 to 1818. She wrote several novels and poems, contributing to the literary scene of her time.
The surname Rast also has connections to the military. Sir Henry Rast (1745-1821) was a highly decorated British naval officer who distinguished himself in numerous battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
Lastly, in the field of science, the name Rast is linked to the renowned physicist and mathematician, John Rast (1879-1957). He made significant contributions to the study of quantum mechanics and was widely respected in the scientific community.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the surname Rast throughout history, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rast
Among Census respondents with the surname Rast, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Rast 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 Rast surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 1,209
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 56
- Two or more races3.1% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 25
- Black or African American0.5% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rast
Rast 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
#16,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,755
+186 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 366 places
2020
#20,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,339
-416 bearers (-23.7%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Down 3,713 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,761 | 1,569 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,395 | 1,755 | 0.59 | +186 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 366 places |
| 2020 | #20,108 | 1,339 | 0.45 | -416 bearers (-23.7%) | Down 3,713 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 Rast 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 | #16,395 | #20,108 | -22.6% |
| Count | 1,755 | 1,339 | -23.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.45 | -24.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rast bearers went from 1,755 to 1,339 (-23.7% change). The surname moved down 3,713 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,395 to #20,108.
FAQ
Rast surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rast?
Name Census estimates that about 1,535 living Americans carry the surname Rast. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 223,293 residents.
How common is Rast?
Rast ranks #20,108 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 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 1,339 people with the surname Rast. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,535), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 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 Rast.
Has Rast become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rast went from 1,755 recorded bearers to 1,339. That is a decrease of 416 (-23.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,395 to #20,108.
What does the Census say about the background of Rast?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rast, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) 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 Rast in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (1,209 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rast appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (4.2%), 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 Rast (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 Rast mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name with that spelling. 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 Rast (0.45 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 Rast?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.