2000
#25,242
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 921
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Regula
A surname derived from the Latin word for rule or regulation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,010 Americans carry the last name Regula. That puts it at #28,736 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 339,361 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Regula 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
1.0K
1 in 339,361
Census rank
#28,736
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
881
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 881 bearers of the surname Regula in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28736th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Regula, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Regula
The surname Regula has its origins in Switzerland, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Late Latin word "regula," meaning "rule" or "regulation," which in turn stems from the Latin verb "regere," meaning "to lead straight" or "to direct." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who played a role in establishing or enforcing rules or regulations within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Regula can be found in the Ratisches Namenbuch, a historical record of names from the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a certain Ruedinus Regula, who lived in the village of Bergün during that period.
By the 15th century, the name had spread to other regions of Switzerland, as evidenced by the appearance of individuals bearing the surname Regula in various historical records. For instance, a Johann Regula is mentioned in the Berner Geschlechter-Buch, a genealogical record of families from the city of Bern, in the year 1462.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable figures with the surname Regula emerged. One such individual was Hans Regula (1536-1604), a Swiss Reformed pastor and theologian from Zurich, who played a significant role in the establishment of the Reformed Church in Switzerland.
Another prominent figure was Ambrosius Regula (1590-1654), a Swiss painter and engraver from the canton of Graubünden, known for his religious artworks and engravings depicting scenes from the Bible.
In the 18th century, the name Regula continued to appear in various historical records across Switzerland. For example, the Basler Geschlechter-Buch, a record of families from Basel, mentions a Johann Jakob Regula (1718-1792), who worked as a merchant in the city.
Outside of Switzerland, the surname Regula also found its way to other parts of Europe, particularly in regions with close cultural and historical ties to Switzerland, such as southern Germany and northern Italy. However, it remained relatively uncommon in these areas compared to its prevalence in its homeland.
Throughout its history, the surname Regula has maintained a strong association with its Swiss origins, and its various spellings and variations, such as Regula, Regule, and Reguli, have continued to be used by families of Swiss descent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Regula
Among Census respondents with the surname Regula, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Regula 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 Regula surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 792
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.7% · 50
- Two or more races2.4% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 14
- Black or African American0.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Regula
Regula 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
#26,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 905
-16 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 1,611 places
2020
#28,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 881
-24 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 1,883 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,242 | 921 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,853 | 905 | 0.31 | -16 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 1,611 places |
| 2020 | #28,736 | 881 | 0.29 | -24 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 1,883 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 Regula 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 | #26,853 | #28,736 | -7.0% |
| Count | 905 | 881 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.29 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Regula bearers went from 905 to 881 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 1,883 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,853 to #28,736.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Regula
FAQ
Regula surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Regula?
Name Census estimates that about 1,010 living Americans carry the surname Regula. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 339,361 residents.
How common is Regula?
Regula ranks #28,736 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 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 881 people with the surname Regula. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,010), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 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 Regula.
Has Regula become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Regula went from 905 recorded bearers to 881. That is a decrease of 24 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #26,853 to #28,736.
What does the Census say about the background of Regula?
Among Census respondents with the surname Regula, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Regula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (792 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Regula appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Regula (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 Regula mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word for rule or regulation. 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 Regula (0.29 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 have the surname Regula?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.