2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ruckriegel
A German topographic surname indicating someone living on a ridge or hilly area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Ruckriegel. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruckriegel 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Ruckriegel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruckriegel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruckriegel
The surname Ruckriegel is of Germanic origin, specifically from the German-speaking regions of central Europe. It is believed to have emerged during the late medieval period, likely between the 13th and 15th centuries.
The name Ruckriegel is thought to be derived from the Old German words "ruck" meaning "ridge" or "hill" and "riegel" meaning "bolt" or "bar." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a ridged or hilly area with some form of barrier or gate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ruckriegel name can be found in a document from the town of Nürnberg in Bavaria, dated to the year 1427. This document mentions a certain Hans Ruckriegel, who was a landowner and farmer in the area.
In the 16th century, there are records of a family by the name of Ruckriegel residing in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, also in Bavaria. This family was involved in the local winemaking trade and owned several vineyards.
During the 17th century, the Ruckriegel name appeared in various church records and tax registers throughout the German states. One notable individual from this period was Johann Ruckriegel (1635-1701), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from the city of Augsburg.
In the 18th century, the Ruckriegel surname was found in areas such as Saxony and Silesia. A prominent figure was Karl Ruckriegel (1722-1798), a respected philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Leipzig.
In the 19th century, the Ruckriegel name spread more widely across German-speaking regions, including Austria and Switzerland. One notable individual was Friedrich Ruckriegel (1841-1919), a pioneering engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early automobiles.
Other historical figures bearing the Ruckriegel surname include Otto Ruckriegel (1867-1942), a German composer and music teacher; and Helene Ruckriegel (1892-1968), a German sculptor and artist known for her works depicting human figures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruckriegel
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruckriegel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruckriegel 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 Ruckriegel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 100
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruckriegel
Ruckriegel 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,915 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-16 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,493 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 5,915 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 15,493 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 Ruckriegel 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 | #134,712 | #150,205 | -11.5% |
| Count | 125 | 109 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruckriegel bearers went from 125 to 109 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 15,493 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #150,205.
FAQ
Ruckriegel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruckriegel?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Ruckriegel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Ruckriegel?
Ruckriegel ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Ruckriegel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ruckriegel.
Has Ruckriegel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruckriegel went from 125 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruckriegel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruckriegel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Ruckriegel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruckriegel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Ruckriegel (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 Ruckriegel mean?
A German topographic surname indicating someone living on a ridge or hilly area. 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 Ruckriegel (0.04 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 Ruckriegel?
Find out how common the surname Ruckriegel is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.