2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rattle
A surname derived from the instrument or the action of making a rattling noise.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Rattle. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rattle 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 Rattle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Rattle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rattle, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rattle
The surname Rattle is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a descriptive name derived from the Old English word "hratol," which means to rattle or make a rattling sound. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone whose occupation or personal characteristic was associated with rattling or making noise.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rattle can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like document from 1273, which mentions a "Willelmus Ratel." This early spelling variation, "Ratel," further supports the connection to the Old English word "hratol."
During the 14th century, the surname appeared in various records and manuscripts across different regions of England. In the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, a "Johannes Ratel" is listed, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379 mention a "Thomas Ratyll."
The Rattle name has also been linked to certain place names in England. For instance, there is a village called Rattle in Staffordshire, which may have contributed to the surname's development in that area.
One notable individual who bore the Rattle surname was John Rattle (c. 1655-1742), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Bushley in Worcestershire. Another prominent figure was Samuel Rattle (1675-1737), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several significant projects in London during the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, William Rattle (1816-1899) gained recognition as a British architect and surveyor, responsible for designing several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas. Additionally, John Rattle (1820-1893) was a successful engineer and inventor who made contributions to the development of steam engines and locomotives.
Another noteworthy individual was Thomas Rattle (1841-1912), a British artist and illustrator known for his paintings and illustrations depicting rural life in England during the Victorian era.
The Rattle surname continues to be found throughout various parts of England, as well as in other English-speaking countries where descendants of English settlers have migrated over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rattle
Among Census respondents with the surname Rattle, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Rattle 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 Rattle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.4% · 84
- Black or African American21.6% · 25
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rattle
Rattle 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+20 bearers (+19.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,024 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,724 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+19.8%) | Up 11,024 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 6,724 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 Rattle 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 | #138,304 | #145,028 | -4.9% |
| Count | 121 | 116 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rattle bearers went from 121 to 116 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 6,724 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #145,028.
FAQ
Rattle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rattle?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Rattle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Rattle?
Rattle ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 116 people with the surname Rattle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Rattle.
Has Rattle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rattle went from 121 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Rattle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rattle, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Rattle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.4% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rattle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.4%), Black (21.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Rattle (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 Rattle mean?
A surname derived from the instrument or the action of making a rattling noise. 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 Rattle (0.04 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 Rattle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.