2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ruivo
A Portuguese surname denoting someone with reddish hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Ruivo. 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 Ruivo 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 Ruivo 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 Ruivo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruivo
The surname RUIVO has its origins in Portugal, dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "ruivo," meaning "redhead" or "reddish-brown." The name was likely given as a descriptive nickname for someone with reddish-brown hair or complexion.
In the early days, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or locations. The use of the surname RUIVO can be traced back to various regions of Portugal, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname RUIVO can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens," a Portuguese genealogical manuscript from the 13th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname, suggesting its widespread use during that period.
The RUIVO surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One example is João Ruivo, a Portuguese explorer who participated in the early expeditions to South America in the 16th century. Another prominent individual was Fernão Ruivo, a nobleman and military commander who fought in the Portuguese conquest of Ceuta in the 15th century.
In the 17th century, a branch of the RUIVO family settled in the Azores, an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic. Here, they established themselves as landowners and played a significant role in the local community. One notable member was Manuel Ruivo, who served as the mayor of Angra do Heroísmo, the capital of the Azores, in the late 1600s.
The RUIVO surname can also be found in various historical records and documents from other regions of Portugal, such as the "Livro da Nobreza" (Book of Nobility), which recorded noble families and their coats of arms.
It is worth noting that the surname RUIVO has evolved over time, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. Some of the older spellings include "Roivo," "Rouivo," and "Roiyo," reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic changes throughout Portugal's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruivo
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruivo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruivo 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 Ruivo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino10.1% · 11
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruivo
Ruivo 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+19 bearers (+18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,768 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,878 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.4%) | Up 9,768 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 12,878 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 Ruivo 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 | #137,327 | #150,205 | -9.4% |
| Count | 122 | 109 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruivo bearers went from 122 to 109 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 12,878 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #150,205.
FAQ
Ruivo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruivo?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Ruivo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Ruivo?
Ruivo 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 Ruivo. 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 Ruivo.
Has Ruivo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruivo went from 122 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruivo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruivo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Black (2.8%). 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 Ruivo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruivo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Hispanic (10.1%), Black (2.8%). 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 Ruivo (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 Ruivo mean?
A Portuguese surname denoting someone with reddish hair. 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 Ruivo (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 Ruivo?
Find out how common the surname Ruivo is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.