Find out how popular the last name Rhue is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rhue.

Rhue, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rhue surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rhue in America

Rhue is the 31960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rhue surname appeared 722 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rhue.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rhue to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rhue

The surname Rhue has its origins in the Low Countries, specifically the region that is now modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands. It first emerged in the 13th century, derived from the Old Dutch word "rude," meaning "rude" or "uncultivated."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 1275 manuscript detailing land ownership in the village of Ruederhuizen, near the city of Utrecht. The document mentions a farmer named Gherardus van Rude, suggesting that the name was already in use as a surname by that time.

As the name spread throughout the Low Countries, it underwent various spelling variations, including Rude, Ruede, and Rhude. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the time.

In the 15th century, a notable bearer of the name was Jan Rhue, a merchant from Antwerp who was involved in the thriving textile trade. His son, Pieter Rhue (1450-1521), became a respected magistrate in the city and was known for his efforts to promote fair trade practices.

Another prominent figure with the surname was Adriaen Rhue (1560-1635), a skilled artist from Delft who specialized in still-life paintings. His works can be found in several prestigious museums across Europe, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, many bearers of the Rhue surname migrated to other parts of Europe, particularly England and Germany. One such individual was Hans Rhue (1585-1652), a German-born soldier who fought in the Thirty Years' War and later settled in England.

In the 18th century, the surname Rhue can be found in various parish records and census documents across the Low Countries and neighboring regions. For example, a 1743 census record from the village of Poperinge, in present-day Belgium, lists several families with the surname Rhue.

As the name spread beyond its original geographic origins, it continued to evolve and adapt to local linguistic influences. In some regions, the spelling was anglicized to Rue or Rhu, while in others, it retained its more traditional Dutch or Flemish form.

Despite its relatively low frequency compared to more common surnames, the Rhue name has left a notable mark on history, with bearers contributing to various fields, including art, commerce, and military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rhue

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rhue.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rhue was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rhue has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rhue was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rhue, please contact us.

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