2000
#12,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,297
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Rathburn
One who comes from Rathborne, a place in Ireland, or from a fort or stronghold near a rath.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,402 Americans carry the last name Rathburn. That puts it at #13,814 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rathburn 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
2.4K
1 in 142,695
Census rank
#13,814
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,095 bearers of the surname Rathburn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13814th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rathburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rathburn
The surname Rathburn is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a location where the stream or burn ran near a meadow or rath. It is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
The name is thought to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, where various spellings such as Rathburn, Rathburne, and Radburne were found in early records. One of the earliest known occurrences of the name is in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John de Rathburne is listed.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a settlement called Rateburne is mentioned, which is likely the place from which the name Rathburn derived. This entry suggests the name's existence even before the 13th century. The spelling variations reflect the evolution of the name over time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Rathburn, who was born in Yorkshire around 1450. He served as a yeoman farmer and is recorded in the Yorkshire Chancery Rolls of 1467.
Another prominent figure was John Rathburn, born in 1521 in Lincolnshire. He was a successful merchant and landowner, and his name appears in various property records from the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Robert Rathburn, born in 1632 in Nottinghamshire. He was a prominent Puritan minister and author, known for his sermons and religious writings.
During the 18th century, the name spread to other parts of England, as evidenced by the birth of Richard Rathburn in 1746 in Gloucestershire. He was a renowned clockmaker and his work is still highly regarded by antique collectors.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Rathburn, born in 1789 in Lancashire. She was a pioneering educator and established one of the first schools for girls in the region, making significant contributions to women's education.
While the name Rathburn is not among the most common surnames, it has a rich history rooted in the English countryside and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rathburn
Among Census respondents with the surname Rathburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rathburn 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 Rathburn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 1,935
- Two or more races4.0% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rathburn
Rathburn 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
#13,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,256
-41 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 1,078 places
2020
#13,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,095
-161 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 337 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,399 | 2,297 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,477 | 2,256 | 0.76 | -41 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,078 places |
| 2020 | #13,814 | 2,095 | 0.70 | -161 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 337 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 Rathburn 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 | #13,477 | #13,814 | -2.5% |
| Count | 2,256 | 2,095 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.70 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rathburn bearers went from 2,256 to 2,095 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 337 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,477 to #13,814.
FAQ
Rathburn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rathburn?
Name Census estimates that about 2,402 living Americans carry the surname Rathburn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,695 residents.
How common is Rathburn?
Rathburn ranks #13,814 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,095 people with the surname Rathburn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,402), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Rathburn.
Has Rathburn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rathburn went from 2,256 recorded bearers to 2,095. That is a decrease of 161 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,477 to #13,814.
What does the Census say about the background of Rathburn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rathburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Rathburn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,935 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rathburn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Rathburn (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 Rathburn mean?
One who comes from Rathborne, a place in Ireland, or from a fort or stronghold near a rath. 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 Rathburn (0.70 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 people share the surname Rathburn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.