2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rawlin
An English surname derived from the Germanic personal name Radulfus or its diminutive forms.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Rawlin. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rawlin 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 Rawlin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Rawlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rawlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rawlin
The surname RAWLIN originated in England in the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "raw" meaning "row" and "lin" meaning "line," suggesting that it was initially an occupational name for someone who lived along a row of houses or properties.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with references in old tax rolls and parish records. In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, a Roger Rawelyn is mentioned, indicating the name's early presence in that region.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such asRaulyn, Rawlyn, and Rawlyne, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings at the time. One notable bearer was John Rawlyn, a merchant from Bristol who was mentioned in records from 1385.
As the centuries progressed, the name became more firmly established, with several notable figures bearing it. In the 16th century, Sir Walter Rawlin (c. 1535-1605) was a prominent English soldier and courtier who served under Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent bearer was Robert Rawlin (1610-1667), an English clergyman and writer who published several religious works.
The 17th century saw the emergence of John Rawlin (1642-1686), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. His work was cited by Sir Isaac Newton, further solidifying the Rawlin name's place in history.
In the 18th century, the surname was associated with several notable figures, including William Rawlin (1726-1803), an English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the West Midlands region. Additionally, Thomas Rawlin (1778-1844) was a respected English botanist and horticulturist who authored several books on gardening and plant cultivation.
As the name spread across England and beyond, it continued to be represented by notable individuals. One such figure was Sir Henry Rawlin (1864-1936), a British naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rawlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Rawlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rawlin 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 Rawlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 106
- Black or African American5.9% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rawlin
Rawlin 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+9 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 612 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,062 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 612 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 7,062 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 Rawlin 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 | #136,449 | #143,511 | -5.2% |
| Count | 123 | 118 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rawlin bearers went from 123 to 118 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 7,062 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #143,511.
FAQ
Rawlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rawlin?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Rawlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Rawlin?
Rawlin ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Rawlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Rawlin.
Has Rawlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rawlin went from 123 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Rawlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rawlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Rawlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rawlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Black (5.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Rawlin (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 Rawlin mean?
An English surname derived from the Germanic personal name Radulfus or its diminutive forms. 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 Rawlin (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 are called Rawlin?
Find out how common the surname Rawlin is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.