2000
#3,583
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.38
Uncommon Last name
Ruggiero
An Italian surname derived from the Germanic name Roger, meaning "famous spearman" or "renowned warrior."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,065 Americans carry the last name Ruggiero. That puts it at #3,927 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,054 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruggiero 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ruggiero with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 34,054
Census rank
#3,927
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,777 bearers of the surname Ruggiero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3927th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruggiero, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruggiero
The surname Ruggiero has its origins in the Italian language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian personal name Ruggiero, which itself is derived from the Germanic name Rodger or Roger.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ruggiero can be found in historical documents from various regions of Italy, particularly in the southern regions of Campania and Puglia. It is believed that the name may have been introduced to these areas during the Norman conquest of southern Italy in the 11th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Ruggiero was Ruggiero I, Count of Sicily, who lived in the 12th century. He was a prominent figure in the Norman Kingdom of Sicily and played a significant role in the conquest and settlement of the island.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Ruggiero was Ruggiero II, King of Sicily, who ruled from 1130 to 1154. He was known for his military campaigns against the Byzantine Empire and for his patronage of the arts and culture.
In the 14th century, a famous Italian poet and scholar named Ruggiero de' Ruggieri lived in Florence. He was a member of the prestigious Accademia della Crusca and contributed to the development of the Italian language and literature.
During the Renaissance period, a renowned Italian architect and military engineer named Ruggiero Ruggieri da Puglia made significant contributions to the field of fortification design. He worked on various defensive structures throughout Italy and is credited with the design of the fortifications in the city of Lecce.
In the 19th century, Ruggiero Settimo was an Italian politician and patriot who played a prominent role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. He served as the President of the Sicilian Parliament and was instrumental in the annexation of Sicily to the Kingdom of Italy in 1860.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Ruggiero throughout history. The name continues to be prevalent in various regions of Italy and has spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruggiero
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruggiero, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruggiero 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 Ruggiero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 8,090
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 418
- Two or more races2.0% · 174
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 54
- Black or African American0.3% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruggiero
Ruggiero 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
#3,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,263
+152 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 3.14
Rank movement Down 242 places
2020
#3,927
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,777
-486 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 2.94
Rank movement Down 102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,583 | 9,111 | 3.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,825 | 9,263 | 3.14 | +152 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 242 places |
| 2020 | #3,927 | 8,777 | 2.94 | -486 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 102 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 Ruggiero 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 | #3,825 | #3,927 | -2.7% |
| Count | 9,263 | 8,777 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.14 | 2.94 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruggiero bearers went from 9,263 to 8,777 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 102 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,825 to #3,927.
FAQ
Ruggiero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruggiero?
Name Census estimates that about 10,065 living Americans carry the surname Ruggiero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,054 residents.
How common is Ruggiero?
Ruggiero ranks #3,927 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,777 people with the surname Ruggiero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,065), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Ruggiero.
Has Ruggiero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruggiero went from 9,263 recorded bearers to 8,777. That is a decrease of 486 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,825 to #3,927.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruggiero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruggiero, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Ruggiero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (8,090 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruggiero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Ruggiero (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 Ruggiero mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Germanic name Roger, meaning "famous spearman" or "renowned warrior." 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 Ruggiero (2.94 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 Ruggiero?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.