2000
#6,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,541
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Ruhl
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from Middle High German "ruohe" meaning "rough" or "coarse," referring to an unkempt person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,828 Americans carry the last name Ruhl. That puts it at #7,597 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruhl 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
4.8K
1 in 70,993
Census rank
#7,597
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,210 bearers of the surname Ruhl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7597th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruhl, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruhl
The surname Ruhl is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It is thought to have derived from the Old High German word "ruoh," which means "rough" or "coarse." The name may have been given to someone who lived in a rugged or rough terrain, or it could have been an occupational name for someone who worked with rough materials or in a rugged environment.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Ruhl can be traced back to the 13th century in various German documents and records. One notable mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Franconia, which includes references to individuals with the surname Ruhl.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a family by the name of Ruhl was involved in the local textile industry. This could suggest that the name may have been associated with the production or trade of rough fabrics or materials.
Throughout the centuries, the Ruhl surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Ruhl, Ruhle, Ruhll, and Rühl. These variations can be found in various historical records and documents across different regions of Germany.
One notable individual with the surname Ruhl was Johann Ruhl (1662-1721), a German sculptor who was active in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His works can be found in several churches and palaces throughout Germany.
Another prominent figure was Johann Philipp Ruhl (1677-1740), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg. His compositions, which include sacred works and operas, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, Johann Christian Ruhl (1828-1900) was a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the former Astor Library and the Tweed Courthouse.
The name Ruhl also has a connection to the world of literature. Katharina Ruhl (1900-1950) was a German writer and poet who was part of the literary circle known as the "Gruppe 47" in the post-World War II era.
Finally, one of the more recent notable individuals with the surname Ruhl is Ulrich Ruhl (born 1939), a German philosopher and academic who has written extensively on ethics, political philosophy, and the philosophy of law.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Ruhl, a name with deep roots in the German language and culture, reflecting the rugged and rough environments from which it likely originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruhl
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruhl, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruhl 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 Ruhl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 3,839
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 154
- Two or more races3.2% · 133
- Black or African American0.9% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruhl
Ruhl 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
#7,468
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,462
-79 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 642 places
2020
#7,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,210
-252 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,826 | 4,541 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,468 | 4,462 | 1.51 | -79 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 642 places |
| 2020 | #7,597 | 4,210 | 1.41 | -252 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 129 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 Ruhl 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 | #7,468 | #7,597 | -1.7% |
| Count | 4,462 | 4,210 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.41 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruhl bearers went from 4,462 to 4,210 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,468 to #7,597.
FAQ
Ruhl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruhl?
Name Census estimates that about 4,828 living Americans carry the surname Ruhl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,993 residents.
How common is Ruhl?
Ruhl ranks #7,597 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 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 4,210 people with the surname Ruhl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,828), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 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 Ruhl.
Has Ruhl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruhl went from 4,462 recorded bearers to 4,210. That is a decrease of 252 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,468 to #7,597.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruhl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruhl, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Ruhl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (3,839 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruhl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Ruhl (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 Ruhl mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from Middle High German "ruohe" meaning "rough" or "coarse," referring to an unkempt person. 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 Ruhl (1.41 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 are called Ruhl?
See how many people have the last name Ruhl on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.