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

Rucker, 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 Rucker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rucker in America

Rucker is the 1326th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rucker surname appeared 26,581 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Rucker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rucker 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 Rucker

The surname Rucker is believed to have originated from England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hrycg," which means "ridge" or "high ground." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rucker name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as "Rucherre," referring to a landowner in the county of Gloucestershire.

During the 13th century, the surname began to appear in various records with spellings such as "Rukker," "Ruckar," and "Ruckere." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions at the time.

The Rucker name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Rucker (c. 1420-1490), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reigns of Henry VI and Edward IV.

Another notable bearer of the name was John Rucker (1592-1662), an English colonist who settled in Virginia in the early 17th century. He played a significant role in the establishment of the tobacco industry in the colony and served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.

In the 18th century, Edmund Rucker (1711-1788) was a prominent Virginian planter and landowner who served as a justice of the peace and was involved in local government affairs. His grandson, Thomas Rucker (1786-1854), was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and served as a colonel in the Virginia militia during the War of 1812.

One of the most notable figures with the Rucker surname was Sir Henry Rucker (1796-1875), a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent figure in the British East India Company. He was knighted for his military service and played a crucial role in the administration of British India.

Throughout history, the Rucker name has also been associated with various place names, such as Rucker's Hill in Virginia and Rucker's Station in Tennessee, which were named after early settlers with the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rucker

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

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 Rucker 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 Rucker 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 Rucker was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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