2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ruhnow
A habitational surname for someone from a placename containing a component derived from a Germanic personal name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Ruhnow. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruhnow 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Ruhnow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruhnow, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruhnow
The surname Ruhnow has its origins in Germany, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "ruhen," which means "to rest" or "to lie down." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a resting place or an inn.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ruhnow can be found in the Hanseatic League records from the city of Lübeck, dated to the late 15th century. Here, a merchant by the name of Hans Ruhnow is mentioned in connection with trade activities in the Baltic region. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the area during that time.
In the 16th century, the name Ruhnow appears in various church records and land registries in the German states of Mecklenburg and Pomerania. These records often list individuals with variations of the name, such as Rohnow, Ruhnau, or Runow, suggesting that the spelling was not yet standardized.
One notable figure bearing the name Ruhnow was Johann Ruhnow, a Lutheran theologian who lived from 1550 to 1618. He served as a pastor in the town of Parchim, Mecklenburg, and was known for his sermons and theological writings.
In the 17th century, the Ruhnow family appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, including the regions of Brandenburg and Saxony. The name is also found in various genealogical records from this period, indicating the presence of several distinct family lines.
Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Ruhnow, a German military officer who lived from 1765 to 1835. He served in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Iron Cross for his bravery in battle.
As the centuries progressed, the name Ruhnow continued to be found in various German records, including census data, military rolls, and emigration lists. Some members of the Ruhnow family emigrated to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas, further spreading the name across the globe.
A notable example from the 19th century is Karl Ruhnow, a German-American artist and sculptor who was born in 1853 and died in 1925. He is particularly known for his work in bronze and his sculptures that adorned public buildings and parks in several American cities.
Overall, the surname Ruhnow has a rich history that can be traced back to the northern regions of Germany, where it originated as a descriptive name related to the concept of resting or lodging. While its exact origins remain somewhat obscure, the name has left its mark on various historical records and has been carried by individuals of note throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruhnow
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruhnow, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruhnow 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 Ruhnow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruhnow
Ruhnow 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+6 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,300 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,423 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 3,300 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,423 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 Ruhnow 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 | #152,628 | #150,205 | 1.6% |
| Count | 107 | 109 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruhnow bearers went from 107 to 109 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,423 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #150,205.
FAQ
Ruhnow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruhnow?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Ruhnow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Ruhnow?
Ruhnow ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Ruhnow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Ruhnow.
Has Ruhnow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruhnow went from 107 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruhnow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruhnow, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Ruhnow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruhnow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Ruhnow (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 Ruhnow mean?
A habitational surname for someone from a placename containing a component derived from a Germanic personal name. 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 Ruhnow (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 are called Ruhnow?
Want to know how common the surname Ruhnow is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.