2000
#11,653
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,466
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Rix
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hillside stream or tributary.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,604 Americans carry the last name Rix. That puts it at #12,934 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,626 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rix 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 Rix with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 131,626
Census rank
#12,934
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,271 bearers of the surname Rix in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12934th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rix, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rix
The surname Rix has its origins in the Old English word "ric", meaning powerful or wealthy. It is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rix can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. In this document, the name is spelled as "Ric" or "Ricx".
The Rix surname is also linked to various place names in England, such as Rixworth in Suffolk and Rixon in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Rix who once lived or owned land in those areas.
In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir Richard Rix, a knight who fought in the Crusades and is mentioned in several historical chronicles of the time. Another early recorded instance is John Rix, a merchant in London who lived during the reign of King Edward III (1327-1377).
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Rix surname became more widespread in England, with several prominent individuals bearing the name. One such person was William Rix (1561-1637), a successful merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several almshouses in his hometown of Warwick.
Another notable figure was Sir Edward Rix (1617-1692), a lawyer and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1670. He was knighted by King Charles II for his services to the city.
In the 18th century, the Rix name gained prominence in the field of agriculture. Robert Rix (1720-1796) was a renowned agriculturist and writer who published several influential works on farming practices and land management.
Throughout history, the Rix surname has been present in various parts of England, particularly in counties such as Suffolk, Norfolk, Yorkshire, and Warwickshire, where many families bearing the name have lived for generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rix
Among Census respondents with the surname Rix, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rix 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 Rix surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 2,007
- Black or African American3.7% · 84
- Two or more races3.7% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rix
Rix 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
#12,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,391
-75 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 1,219 places
2020
#12,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,271
-120 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 62 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,653 | 2,466 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,872 | 2,391 | 0.81 | -75 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 1,219 places |
| 2020 | #12,934 | 2,271 | 0.76 | -120 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 62 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 Rix 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 | #12,872 | #12,934 | -0.5% |
| Count | 2,391 | 2,271 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.76 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rix bearers went from 2,391 to 2,271 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 62 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,872 to #12,934.
FAQ
Rix surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rix?
Name Census estimates that about 2,604 living Americans carry the surname Rix. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,626 residents.
How common is Rix?
Rix ranks #12,934 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,271 people with the surname Rix. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,604), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Rix.
Has Rix become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rix went from 2,391 recorded bearers to 2,271. That is a decrease of 120 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,872 to #12,934.
What does the Census say about the background of Rix?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rix, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Rix in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (2,007 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rix appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Black (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Rix (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 Rix mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hillside stream or tributary. 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 Rix (0.76 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 last name Rix?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Rix on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.