2000
#13,885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,995
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Ro
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who tended oxen or cattle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,933 Americans carry the last name Ro. That puts it at #11,717 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,861 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ro 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
2.9K
1 in 116,861
Census rank
#11,717
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,558 bearers of the surname Ro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11717th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.4%) and Hispanic (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ro
The surname "RO" is believed to have its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in Romania and surrounding regions. It is thought to have derived from the Romanian word "rău," which means "bad" or "evil." This name may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with an unpleasant or difficult personality or behavior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "RO" can be found in the medieval town records of Sibiu, a city in present-day Romania, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention a certain "Ion Ro," who was a local tradesman and landowner.
In the 15th century, there are mentions of a family with the surname "Ro" in the historical archives of the principality of Wallachia, which was a Romanian state at the time. This family appears to have been part of the noble class and owned significant land holdings in the region.
The name "RO" also has connections to various place names in Romania and neighboring countries. For instance, the village of Ro┼či in Transylvania, Romania, may have derived its name from the surname "RO" or vice versa, suggesting a possible connection between the name and a specific location.
One notable figure with the surname "RO" was Mihai Ro, a Romanian writer and journalist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (1860-1938). He was known for his works that explored social and political issues of his time.
Another individual of historical significance was Vasile Ro, a Romanian military officer and politician who played a role in the events leading up to the unification of Romania in 1918. He lived from 1872 to 1945.
In the realm of arts and culture, there was Ion Ro, a Romanian painter and sculptor who was active in the early 20th century (1890-1965). His works were influenced by the avant-garde movements of the time and often depicted scenes from rural Romanian life.
Beyond Romania, the surname "RO" can also be found in other Eastern European countries, such as Bulgaria and Serbia, where it may have similar linguistic roots or connections to local place names.
It's important to note that while the surname "RO" has a rich history in Eastern Europe, it has also been adopted and carried by individuals and families in various other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ro
Among Census respondents with the surname Ro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.4%) and Hispanic (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ro 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 Ro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander77.4% · 1,981
- White10.4% · 265
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 155
- Two or more races3.4% · 86
- Black or African American2.7% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ro
Ro 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
#12,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,455
+460 bearers (+23.1%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 1,278 places
2020
#11,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,558
+103 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Up 890 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,885 | 1,995 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,607 | 2,455 | 0.83 | +460 bearers (+23.1%) | Up 1,278 places |
| 2020 | #11,717 | 2,558 | 0.86 | +103 bearers (+4.2%) | Up 890 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 Ro 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 | #12,607 | #11,717 | 7.1% |
| Count | 2,455 | 2,558 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.86 | 3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ro bearers went from 2,455 to 2,558 (+4.2% change). The surname moved up 890 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,607 to #11,717.
FAQ
Ro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ro?
Name Census estimates that about 2,933 living Americans carry the surname Ro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,861 residents.
How common is Ro?
Ro ranks #11,717 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 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 2,558 people with the surname Ro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,933), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 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 Ro.
Has Ro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ro went from 2,455 recorded bearers to 2,558. That is an increase of 103 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,607 to #11,717.
What does the Census say about the background of Ro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.4%) and Hispanic (6.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.4% (1,981 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (77.4%), White (10.4%), Hispanic (6.1%). 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 Ro (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 Ro mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who tended oxen or cattle. 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 Ro (0.86 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 Ro?
See how many Americans have the surname Ro on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.