2000
#4,079
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,033
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.98
Uncommon Last name
Ruelas
A Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "small streets" or "alleys."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,272 Americans carry the last name Ruelas. That puts it at #3,294 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,930 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruelas 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
12K
1 in 27,930
Census rank
#3,294
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,702 bearers of the surname Ruelas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3294th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruelas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruelas
The surname Ruelas finds its origin in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "ruela," which translates to "small wheel" or "roller," likely referring to an occupation or a distinguishing physical feature associated with the first person to bear the name.
The name Ruelas can be traced to the region of Castile, where it was first documented in the 13th century. It is possible that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked with wheels or rollers, such as a cartwright or a miller.
Historical records from the 14th century mention a Juan Ruelas, a landowner in the town of Segovia, Castile. This early reference suggests that the name had already established itself as a hereditary surname by that time.
In the 15th century, the name Ruelas appeared in the chronicles of the Spanish conquest of the Canary Islands, where a soldier named Pedro Ruelas was noted for his bravery in battle against the native inhabitants.
During the 16th century, the name Ruelas spread throughout Spain and its colonies in the Americas. One notable bearer was Diego Ruelas, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Juana Ruelas gained recognition in Spain for her philanthropic work and establishment of a charitable foundation in the city of Seville.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the name Ruelas traveled to different parts of the world. In the 18th century, a Portuguese explorer named António Ruelas documented his voyage to the East Indies, contributing to the geographical knowledge of the time.
Throughout the 19th century, several individuals bearing the surname Ruelas made significant contributions in various fields. Notably, Francisco Ruelas was a renowned painter and sculptor in Mexico, while José Ruelas was a celebrated poet and novelist in Spain.
These examples illustrate the rich history and global reach of the surname Ruelas, which has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruelas
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruelas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruelas 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 Ruelas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.7% · 10,133
- White4.1% · 437
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 42
- Two or more races0.3% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 34
- Black or African American0.2% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruelas
Ruelas 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
#3,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,505
+3,472 bearers (+43.2%)
Per 100,000 3.90
Rank movement Up 939 places
2020
#3,294
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,702
-803 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 3.58
Rank movement Down 154 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,079 | 8,033 | 2.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,140 | 11,505 | 3.90 | +3,472 bearers (+43.2%) | Up 939 places |
| 2020 | #3,294 | 10,702 | 3.58 | -803 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 154 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 Ruelas 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 | #3,140 | #3,294 | -4.9% |
| Count | 11,505 | 10,702 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.90 | 3.58 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruelas bearers went from 11,505 to 10,702 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 154 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,140 to #3,294.
FAQ
Ruelas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruelas?
Name Census estimates that about 12,272 living Americans carry the surname Ruelas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,930 residents.
How common is Ruelas?
Ruelas ranks #3,294 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,702 people with the surname Ruelas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,272), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Ruelas.
Has Ruelas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruelas went from 11,505 recorded bearers to 10,702. That is a decrease of 803 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,140 to #3,294.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruelas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruelas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ruelas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (10,133 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruelas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.7%), White (4.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Ruelas (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 Ruelas mean?
A Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "small streets" or "alleys." 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 Ruelas (3.58 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 have the surname Ruelas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.