2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ruemler
A Germanic surname derived from the Middle High German word "ruomer" meaning a person who clears land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Ruemler. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruemler 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Ruemler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruemler, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruemler
The surname Ruemler is of German origin, originating in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "rūm," meaning "spacious" or "open," combined with the suffix "-ler," indicating a person or occupation. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in an open or spacious area or perhaps worked in a related field, such as agriculture or land management.
The earliest recorded instances of the Ruemler name can be traced back to the 14th century in various historical records and documents from the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One notable example is the mention of a "Hans Ruemler" in the Nuremberg municipal archives from the year 1382. Additionally, the name appears in the records of the town of Ulm, dating back to 1401, where a "Konrad Ruemler" is listed as a resident.
In the 16th century, the Ruemler name can be found in several historical manuscripts and records from the region, including the mention of a "Georg Ruemler" in the records of the city of Augsburg in 1534. Another notable figure from this period is Johannes Ruemler, a scholar and theologian born in Nuremberg in 1540, who authored several works on religious subjects.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Ruemler name continued to be prevalent in southern Germany, with various individuals bearing the name appearing in church records, tax documents, and other historical sources. One notable figure from this time was Johann Georg Ruemler (1673-1748), a German composer and organist who served as the court organist in the Duchy of Württemberg.
In the 19th century, the Ruemler name spread more widely throughout Germany and other parts of Europe as migration and urbanization increased. One prominent individual from this period was Carl Ruemler (1832-1902), a German composer and music educator who served as the director of the Leipzig Conservatory of Music from 1888 to 1902.
Throughout its history, the Ruemler surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, including agriculture, craftsmanship, academia, and the arts. While the name remains relatively uncommon, it continues to have a presence in Germany and other parts of Europe, as well as among German-American communities in the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruemler
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruemler, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruemler 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 Ruemler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruemler
Ruemler 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-14 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,326 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,815 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 23,326 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Up 5,815 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 Ruemler 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 | #153,769 | #147,954 | 3.8% |
| Count | 106 | 112 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruemler bearers went from 106 to 112 (+5.7% change). The surname moved up 5,815 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #147,954.
FAQ
Ruemler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruemler?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Ruemler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Ruemler?
Ruemler ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Ruemler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ruemler.
Has Ruemler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruemler went from 106 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 6 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruemler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruemler, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are 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 Ruemler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruemler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), 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 Ruemler (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 Ruemler mean?
A Germanic surname derived from the Middle High German word "ruomer" meaning a person who clears land. 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 Ruemler (0.04 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 Ruemler?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.