2000
#9,649
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,090
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Ruffner
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of a coarse woolen cloth called "rough."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,326 Americans carry the last name Ruffner. That puts it at #10,549 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,053 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruffner 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
3.3K
1 in 103,053
Census rank
#10,549
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,900 bearers of the surname Ruffner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10549th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruffner, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruffner
The surname Ruffner has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Ruff," meaning "a ruff or ruffle," which was a type of collar worn in that era. The name may have been initially given as a nickname or occupation descriptor to someone who made or wore these ruffled collars.
The earliest recorded instances of the Ruffner surname can be traced back to the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Historical records from these regions show variations in the spelling, such as Ruffner, Ruffler, and Rüffner.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the church records of the town of Steinbach in Baden-Württemberg, which mention a Johann Ruffner in the year 1592. Additionally, the name appears in various tax and census records from the 17th and 18th centuries in the same region.
As the Ruffner family spread across Europe, some members established themselves in notable positions. For instance, Johann Jakob Ruffner (1662-1737) was a renowned architect and stonemason from Württemberg, responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in the region.
In the late 18th century, a branch of the Ruffner family emigrated to the United States, settling in Virginia and Pennsylvania. One of the earliest recorded Ruffners in America was Jacob Ruffner (1734-1819), a farmer and landowner who served in the Virginia militia during the Revolutionary War.
Another notable Ruffner was Lewis Ruffner (1797-1883), a prominent lawyer and politician from Virginia. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates and was a staunch supporter of the Union during the Civil War.
In the realm of literature, the name Ruffner is associated with Henry Ruffner (1790-1861), a Presbyterian minister and writer from Virginia. He authored several works on theology and education, including "The Drunkard's Child" and "Memoir of a Residence of Thirty Years with the Indian Tribes on the American Frontiers."
One of the most significant figures bearing the Ruffner name was William Henry Ruffner (1824-1908), an educator and civil engineer. He served as the first president of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Virginia Tech) and played a crucial role in the establishment and development of the institution.
While the Ruffner surname is not as prevalent as some other German names, it has left its mark on various fields throughout history, from architecture and politics to literature and education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruffner
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruffner, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruffner 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 Ruffner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 2,552
- Black or African American3.8% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 110
- Two or more races3.8% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruffner
Ruffner 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
#10,679
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,994
-96 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 1,030 places
2020
#10,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,900
-94 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,649 | 3,090 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,679 | 2,994 | 1.01 | -96 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 1,030 places |
| 2020 | #10,549 | 2,900 | 0.97 | -94 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 130 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 Ruffner 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 | #10,679 | #10,549 | 1.2% |
| Count | 2,994 | 2,900 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.97 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruffner bearers went from 2,994 to 2,900 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 130 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,679 to #10,549.
FAQ
Ruffner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruffner?
Name Census estimates that about 3,326 living Americans carry the surname Ruffner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,053 residents.
How common is Ruffner?
Ruffner ranks #10,549 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,900 people with the surname Ruffner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,326), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ruffner.
Has Ruffner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruffner went from 2,994 recorded bearers to 2,900. That is a decrease of 94 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,679 to #10,549.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruffner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruffner, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Ruffner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (2,552 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruffner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Black (3.8%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Ruffner (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 Ruffner mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of a coarse woolen cloth called "rough." 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 Ruffner (0.97 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 Ruffner?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.