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

Rucks, 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 Rucks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rucks in America

Rucks is the 21173rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rucks surname appeared 1,240 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rucks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rucks 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 Rucks

The surname Rucks originates from Germany and can be traced back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "ruck," meaning a knoll or small hill. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to people who lived near or on a small hill or elevated landform.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rucks can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, dating back to the year 1532. These records mention a certain Hans Rucks, a local merchant and landowner. Another early reference is found in the parish registers of the town of Augsburg, where a family by the name of Rucks is listed as residing in the area during the late 16th century.

The name Rucks also appears in several historical documents from the region of Bavaria, particularly in the areas around the cities of Munich and Regensburg. In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Johann Rucks (1620-1687) was a respected theologian and author, known for his works on religious philosophy.

As the name spread across different regions of Germany, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Ruck, Rucke, and Ruckes. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or the preference of individual families.

In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname Rucks was Johann Christoph Rucks (1745-1814), a German composer and musician who served as the court composer for the Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Another prominent individual bearing the name Rucks was Karl Rucks (1790-1868), a German politician and jurist who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the revolutionary period of 1848-1849.

As the name spread beyond Germany, it encountered further variations in spelling and pronunciation. For instance, in the United States, the name is sometimes spelled as "Rux" or "Rucker," possibly due to anglicization or regional influences.

While these are just a few examples, the surname Rucks has a long and rich history, originating from the German language and reflecting the geographical and cultural influences of various regions within Germany over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rucks

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

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

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

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