2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ruettgers
A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Ruetgers or a similar location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Ruettgers. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruettgers 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Ruettgers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruettgers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruettgers
The surname Ruettgers is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have originated in the northwestern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Lower Saxony and Westphalia. It is derived from the German word "rute," which means "rod" or "switch," and was likely an occupational name referring to someone who made or worked with rods or switches.
One of the earliest records of the name Ruettgers can be found in the chronicles of the town of Osnabrück, dating back to the 14th century. The name appears in various forms, such as Ruddeger, Rudeger, and Rudiger, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time.
In the 16th century, the name Ruettgers is mentioned in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and towns in Northern Europe. It is believed that members of the Ruettgers family were involved in trade and commerce within the Hanseatic League, contributing to the spread of the name across different regions.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Ruettgers was Johann Ruettgers (1542-1617), a German cartographer and mathematician who was renowned for his work on celestial navigation and the construction of astrolabes. His contributions to the field of cartography and navigation were significant during the Age of Exploration.
Another person of note was Anna Ruettgers (1678-1743), a German midwife and herbalist who was widely respected for her knowledge of traditional medicine and her dedication to assisting women during childbirth. Her legacy as a skilled practitioner of midwifery influenced generations of women in her community.
In the 19th century, Heinrich Ruettgers (1818-1892) was a prominent German industrialist who established a successful textile manufacturing company in the city of Krefeld. His business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit played a crucial role in the economic development of the region.
The name Ruettgers can also be linked to various place names in Germany, such as Ruetterberg, a small village in North Rhine-Westphalia, and Ruettersdorf, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Throughout history, the Ruettgers family has made significant contributions across various fields, including cartography, medicine, industry, and commerce. While the name may have evolved and taken on different forms, its German roots and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the annals of European history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruettgers
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruettgers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruettgers 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 Ruettgers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruettgers
Ruettgers 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+16 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 4,249 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-21 bearers (-15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,722 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 4,249 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-15.2%) | Down 19,722 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 Ruettgers 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 | #124,548 | #144,270 | -15.8% |
| Count | 138 | 117 | -15.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruettgers bearers went from 138 to 117 (-15.2% change). The surname moved down 19,722 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #144,270.
FAQ
Ruettgers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruettgers?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Ruettgers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Ruettgers?
Ruettgers ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Ruettgers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Ruettgers.
Has Ruettgers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruettgers went from 138 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 21 (-15.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #124,548 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruettgers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruettgers, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Ruettgers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruettgers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Ruettgers (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 Ruettgers mean?
A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Ruetgers or a similar location. 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 Ruettgers (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 common is the surname Ruettgers?
You can see how many people have the surname Ruettgers on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.