2000
#25,356
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 917
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Ruehl
A German surname derived from the archaic word "rül" meaning "reel" or "bobbin".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,086 Americans carry the last name Ruehl. That puts it at #27,027 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 315,612 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruehl 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
1.1K
1 in 315,612
Census rank
#27,027
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
947
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 947 bearers of the surname Ruehl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27027th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruehl
The surname Ruehl has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the German word "Ruhe," meaning "rest" or "peace." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a peaceful or quiet area, or perhaps someone with a calm demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ruehl can be found in the town of Ruhla, located in the German state of Thuringia. This town, whose name shares a similar root to the surname, dates back to the 9th century and was a center for metalworking and mining during the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, a document from the city of Erfurt mentions a man named Johannes Ruehl, who worked as a blacksmith. This provides evidence of the name's existence and its association with a trade during that time period.
The Ruehl surname also appears in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries. For instance, a man named Hans Ruehl is listed as a landowner in the village of Mühlhausen in 1587. Another notable figure was Peter Ruehl, a merchant from Hamburg who was born in 1612 and played a significant role in the city's trade with the Netherlands.
In the 18th century, the name Ruehl gained prominence with the birth of Johann Christoph Ruehl (1737-1817), a German mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and served as the director of the Berlin Observatory.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Ruehl (1781-1820), a German poet and writer who was part of the Romantic movement. His works, such as the collection of poems titled "Gedichte," were widely celebrated during his lifetime.
As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, variations in spelling emerged, including Rühl, Ruhl, and Ruel. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation differences.
While the surname Ruehl has its roots in Germany, it has since been carried by families across the globe, with descendants found in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, the name's rich history and connections to German culture and traditions remain an integral part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruehl
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruehl 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 Ruehl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 883
- Two or more races3.5% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruehl
Ruehl 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
#26,747
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 910
-7 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 1,391 places
2020
#27,027
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 947
+37 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 280 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,356 | 917 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,747 | 910 | 0.31 | -7 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 1,391 places |
| 2020 | #27,027 | 947 | 0.32 | +37 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 280 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 Ruehl 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 | #26,747 | #27,027 | -1.0% |
| Count | 910 | 947 | 4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.32 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruehl bearers went from 910 to 947 (+4.1% change). The surname moved down 280 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,747 to #27,027.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ruehl
FAQ
Ruehl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruehl?
Name Census estimates that about 1,086 living Americans carry the surname Ruehl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 315,612 residents.
How common is Ruehl?
Ruehl ranks #27,027 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 947 people with the surname Ruehl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,086), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Ruehl.
Has Ruehl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruehl went from 910 recorded bearers to 947. That is an increase of 37 (+4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #26,747 to #27,027.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruehl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Ruehl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (883 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruehl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Ruehl (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 Ruehl mean?
A German surname derived from the archaic word "rül" meaning "reel" or "bobbin". 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 Ruehl (0.32 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 share the surname Ruehl?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.