2000
#14,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,944
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Rising
An English surname referring to someone living on a hill or near a source of a river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,337 Americans carry the last name Rising. That puts it at #14,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,664 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rising 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 Rising with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,664
Census rank
#14,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,038 bearers of the surname Rising in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rising, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rising
The surname Rising has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "risinge," which referred to a hill or elevated terrain. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived on or near a hill or rising ground.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rising can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Risinge" and "Risinghe," indicating its evolution over time.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, the surname became more prevalent, particularly in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. Historical records from this period often mention individuals with the surname Rising in connection with various landholdings and transactions.
One notable individual bearing the surname Rising was Sir John Rising (c. 1480-1544), a prominent English politician and courtier during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as a member of Parliament and held several important positions, including that of Constable of Nottingham Castle.
Another significant figure was William Rising (1604-1670), an English Puritan clergyman and author. He is best known for his work "A Vindication of the Doctrine of Antiquity," which defended the principles of the Church of England against the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
In the 18th century, the surname Rising gained further recognition with the birth of James Rising (1737-1817), a British naval officer and explorer. He is remembered for his voyages to the Pacific Ocean and his contributions to the mapping of the Australian coastline.
During the 19th century, the name Rising was associated with several notable individuals, including Henry Rising (1815-1899), a prominent American businessman and philanthropist from New York. He made significant contributions to the development of the city's transportation infrastructure and supported various charitable causes.
Another individual of note was Sarah Rising (1832-1912), an American educator and advocate for women's rights. She played a pivotal role in the establishment of several educational institutions and worked tirelessly to promote equal opportunities for women in education and employment.
While the surname Rising may have originated from a geographical feature, it has since become a part of the rich tapestry of English and American history, with numerous individuals bearing this name leaving their mark across various fields and endeavors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rising
Among Census respondents with the surname Rising, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Rising 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 Rising surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 1,794
- Two or more races3.8% · 77
- Black or African American3.4% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rising
Rising 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
#14,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,027
+83 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 493 places
2020
#14,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,038
+11 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 524 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,176 | 1,944 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,669 | 2,027 | 0.69 | +83 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 493 places |
| 2020 | #14,145 | 2,038 | 0.68 | +11 bearers (+0.5%) | Up 524 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 Rising 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 | #14,669 | #14,145 | 3.6% |
| Count | 2,027 | 2,038 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.68 | -1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rising bearers went from 2,027 to 2,038 (+0.5% change). The surname moved up 524 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,669 to #14,145.
FAQ
Rising surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rising?
Name Census estimates that about 2,337 living Americans carry the surname Rising. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,664 residents.
How common is Rising?
Rising ranks #14,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,038 people with the surname Rising. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,337), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rising.
Has Rising become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rising went from 2,027 recorded bearers to 2,038. That is an increase of 11 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,669 to #14,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Rising?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rising, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (3.4%). 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 Rising in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (1,794 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rising appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Black (3.4%). 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 Rising (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 Rising mean?
An English surname referring to someone living on a hill or near a source of a river. 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 Rising (0.68 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 Rising?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.