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

Rue, 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 Rue surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rue in America

Rue is the 6721st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rue surname appeared 5,023 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rue.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rue 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 Rue

The surname Rue has its origins in France, where it first emerged in the 12th century as a habitational name for someone who lived on or near a street or lane, derived from the Old French word "rue" meaning "street".

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval French records and charters, with variations in spelling such as Ruee, De la Rue, and Derue. One of the earliest known bearers was Raoul de la Rue, a landowner in Normandy who was mentioned in a charter from 1180.

In England, the name Rue is thought to have been introduced by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066. It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Ruhe" and "Rua", referring to landowners in several counties.

The surname Rue also has connections to place names, such as the village of Rue in Picardy, France, and the town of Rue in Somerset, England. These locations may have contributed to the adoption of the surname by residents or former residents.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Rue include:

1. Guillaume de la Rue (c. 1470-1518), a French composer and singer of the Renaissance period.
2. Charles de la Rue (1643-1725), a French Jesuit missionary and explorer who traveled to Canada and the Great Lakes region.
3. Pierre de la Rue (c. 1452-1518), a renowned Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer and singer.
4. John Rue (1587-1659), an English clergyman and author of the 17th century.
5. Philip Rue (1767-1831), an American Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer settler in Ohio.

Over time, the surname Rue has spread across various regions, including France, England, Belgium, Canada, and the United States, with different branches of the family establishing themselves in various locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rue

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

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

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

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