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

Rathbun, 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 Rathbun surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rathbun in America

Rathbun is the 5381st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rathbun surname appeared 6,467 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rathbun.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rathbun 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 Rathbun

The surname RATHBUN has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "rath" and "bune," which together translate to "a dweller by the stream." The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears as "Ratburnae" in the Domesday Book of 1086, referring to a location in Lincolnshire.

During the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, many place names were recorded and later adopted as surnames by those residing in or near those locations. The name RATHBUN likely emerged from such a practice, with families taking on the name of their local stream or waterway.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Rathbun, a knight who fought in the Crusades during the late 12th century. His family's coat of arms, featuring a silver stream on a blue field, is thought to be a representation of the name's meaning.

In the 16th century, records show a RATHBUN family residing in the village of Rattlesden, Suffolk, which was once known as "Rathbundesden." This suggests a possible connection between the surname and the place name, further solidifying the name's origins.

Notable individuals with the RATHBUN surname include:

1. William Rathbun (1556-1623), an English merchant and Member of Parliament.
2. John Rathbun (1628-1702), one of the earliest settlers in the American colonies, arriving in Massachusetts in the 1650s.
3. Valentine Rathbun (1624-1711), a prominent figure in the early history of Rhode Island and a founder of the town of Warwick.
4. Jedediah Rathbun (1736-1789), a Continental Army officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
5. Henry Rathbun (1853-1927), a successful American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Rathbun Company, a leading furniture manufacturer in the late 19th century.

The RATHBUN surname has thus maintained a presence throughout English and American history, with its roots firmly grounded in the medieval English countryside and the early settlement of the American colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rathbun

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

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

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

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