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

Rud, 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 Rud surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rud in America

Rud is the 17481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rud surname appeared 1,612 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rud.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rud 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 Rud

The surname RUD is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word 'rūde', meaning a clearing or a piece of cultivated land. It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century.

The name was first recorded in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia, where many families bearing this surname were found. It is likely that the name was originally an occupational name, referring to someone who worked on or owned a piece of cleared land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various forms, such as 'Rude', 'Ruden', and 'Rudene'.

In the 14th century, the name is mentioned in the records of the city of Augsburg, where a certain Ulrich Rude is listed as a citizen. Another early bearer of the name was Hans Rud, a merchant from Nuremberg, who lived in the late 15th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. One notable figure was Johann Rud (1536-1592), a German theologian and reformer who was a prominent figure in the Lutheran church.

In the 18th century, the name was also found in Switzerland, where a family of Ruds settled in the canton of Bern. One of their descendants, Samuel Rud (1760-1822), was a Swiss politician and judge.

Another notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Rud (1807-1885), a German philologist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature.

As the name spread across Europe, it also made its way to other countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England was in the 16th century, when a certain Thomas Rud was listed as a merchant in London.

In the 19th century, the name was found in the United States, where many immigrants from Germany and other parts of Europe settled. One of the earliest recorded instances was John Rud, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1808.

Throughout history, the surname RUD has been associated with various occupations and professions, from farmers and merchants to scholars and politicians. While its origins can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Europe, it has since become a name found in many parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rud

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

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

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

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