2000
#6,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,650
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.72
Rare Last name
Rude
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "clearing" or "ride" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,120 Americans carry the last name Rude. That puts it at #7,211 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,944 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rude 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
5.1K
1 in 66,944
Census rank
#7,211
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,465 bearers of the surname Rude in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7211th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rude, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rude
The surname Rude has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word 'rot', which means 'red' or 'ruddy', likely referring to a person's complexion or hair color. The name was initially spelled as 'Roth' or 'Rothe' in its earliest forms.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Rude can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, where a certain 'Henricus Rude' is mentioned in a charter dated 1292. This suggests that the name had already been established and in use by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Rude living in various regions of Germany, such as Thuringia, Saxony, and the Rhineland. One notable example is Johannes Rude, a merchant from Cologne who is mentioned in the city's records in 1376.
As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling began to emerge, including 'Ruede', 'Rudi', and 'Rudy'. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and linguistic traditions.
In the 16th century, the name Rude appeared in several historical documents, including the Württembergische Regesten, which mentions a 'Hans Rude' from Stuttgart in 1521. Another notable figure from this period was Johann Rude, a Protestant reformer and theologian born in Wittenberg in 1538.
In the 17th century, the name Rude gained prominence in the Netherlands, where it was sometimes spelled as 'Ruede' or 'Ruijde'. One notable figure was Michiel Ruede, a Dutch painter born in Amsterdam in 1642, renowned for his portrait and genre paintings.
The 18th century saw the Rude surname spread to other parts of Europe, including France, where it was sometimes adapted to 'Roudet' or 'Roudet'. One notable Frenchman with this surname was François Rude, a celebrated sculptor born in Dijon in 1784, best known for his work on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
In the 19th century, the Rude surname began to appear more frequently in North America, as German and Dutch immigrants brought the name with them to the United States and Canada. One notable American with this surname was William Rude, a Civil War veteran born in Pennsylvania in 1845.
Throughout its history, the surname Rude has been associated with various professions and occupations, including merchants, artisans, clergymen, and artists. Its enduring legacy can be traced through the numerous individuals who have carried this name over the centuries, each contributing to the rich tapestry of their respective cultures and communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rude
Among Census respondents with the surname Rude, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rude 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 Rude surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 4,079
- Two or more races3.4% · 152
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 122
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 44
- Black or African American0.8% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rude
Rude 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
#7,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,661
+11 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Down 470 places
2020
#7,211
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,465
-196 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,704 | 4,650 | 1.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,174 | 4,661 | 1.58 | +11 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 470 places |
| 2020 | #7,211 | 4,465 | 1.49 | -196 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 37 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 Rude 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 | #7,174 | #7,211 | -0.5% |
| Count | 4,661 | 4,465 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.58 | 1.49 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rude bearers went from 4,661 to 4,465 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,174 to #7,211.
FAQ
Rude surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rude?
Name Census estimates that about 5,120 living Americans carry the surname Rude. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,944 residents.
How common is Rude?
Rude ranks #7,211 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.49 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 4,465 people with the surname Rude. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.49 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 Rude.
Has Rude become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rude went from 4,661 recorded bearers to 4,465. That is a decrease of 196 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,174 to #7,211.
What does the Census say about the background of Rude?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rude, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Rude in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (4,079 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rude appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Rude (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 Rude mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "clearing" or "ride" in Old English. 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 Rude (1.49 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 Americans have the surname Rude?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.