2000
#3,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,208
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.04
Rare Last name
Rau
A German and Latvian toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "rough" or "uncultivated land."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,724 Americans carry the last name Rau. That puts it at #4,063 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,248 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rau 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
9.7K
1 in 35,248
Census rank
#4,063
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,480 bearers of the surname Rau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4063rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rau, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rau
The surname RAU has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "Rauh," which means "rough" or "rugged," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a harsh or rugged environment or had a rough appearance or personality.
The earliest known record of the name RAU dates back to the year 1352, when a person named Hans Rau was mentioned in the town records of Nuremberg, Bavaria. The name was also found in other parts of Germany, such as Saxony and Thuringia, during the medieval period.
In the 15th century, the name RAU appeared in various historical documents, including the Berne Chronicle, a chronicle of the city of Bern, Switzerland. One notable individual with this surname was Peter Rau, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1487 to 1546 and was known for his intricate woodcuts and etchings.
During the 16th century, the name RAU continued to spread across Germany and other parts of Europe. One notable figure from this era was Johannes Rau, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1532 to 1592 and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
In the 17th century, the name RAU was found in various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Thuringia, and Hesse. One notable individual from this period was Johann Philipp Rau, a German jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1668 to 1719 and made significant contributions to the field of civil law.
As the name spread further across Europe, it also took on various spellings and variations. In the 18th century, a notable figure with this surname was Georg Rau, a German composer and organist who lived from 1710 to 1788 and is remembered for his contributions to church music.
Other notable individuals with the surname RAU include Karl Heinrich Rau, a German economist and philosopher who lived from 1792 to 1870 and made significant contributions to the field of political economy, and Heribert Rau, an Austrian sculptor and artist who lived from 1914 to 1999 and was known for his avant-garde works.
Throughout its history, the surname RAU has been associated with various professions, including artists, scholars, theologians, and musicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rau
Among Census respondents with the surname Rau, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rau 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 Rau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 7,596
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 277
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 274
- Two or more races2.7% · 230
- Black or African American0.8% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rau
Rau 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
#3,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,961
+753 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 3.04
Rank movement Up 7 places
2020
#4,063
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,480
-481 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 2.84
Rank movement Down 95 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,975 | 8,208 | 3.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,968 | 8,961 | 3.04 | +753 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 7 places |
| 2020 | #4,063 | 8,480 | 2.84 | -481 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 95 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 Rau 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 | #3,968 | #4,063 | -2.4% |
| Count | 8,961 | 8,480 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.04 | 2.84 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rau bearers went from 8,961 to 8,480 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 95 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,968 to #4,063.
FAQ
Rau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rau?
Name Census estimates that about 9,724 living Americans carry the surname Rau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,248 residents.
How common is Rau?
Rau ranks #4,063 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,480 people with the surname Rau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,724), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Rau.
Has Rau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rau went from 8,961 recorded bearers to 8,480. That is a decrease of 481 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,968 to #4,063.
What does the Census say about the background of Rau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rau, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). 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 Rau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (7,596 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (3.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). 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 Rau (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 Rau mean?
A German and Latvian toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "rough" or "uncultivated land." 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 Rau (2.84 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 Rau?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.