2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ruleau
A surname derived from a diminutive of the French word "rouleau," meaning a small roll or scroll.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Ruleau. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruleau 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Ruleau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruleau, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruleau
The surname Ruleau has its origins in northern France, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "rulel," which means a small stream or brook. This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived near a small watercourse.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a collection of charters and records from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, dating back to the late 12th century. In this document, a certain "Guillelmus Ruleau" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
By the 13th century, the name had spread to other regions of northern France, and variations in spelling began to appear, such as "Rouleau" and "Rulleau." In 1274, a nobleman named "Robert Ruleau" was recorded in the Trésor des Chartes, a collection of royal charters and documents from the French monarchy.
During the 14th century, the name Ruleau was also found in records from the Normandy region. In 1382, a certain "Jehan Ruleau" was mentioned in the Rôles Normands, a collection of documents related to the administration of Normandy.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Ruleau was Guillaume Ruleau, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Rouen in the late 15th century. He was documented in several local records and is believed to have been a prominent figure in the city's trade and commerce.
Another notable individual with the surname Ruleau was Jacques Ruleau, a French soldier and explorer who was born in the early 17th century. He participated in several expeditions to the Americas and is said to have played a role in the establishment of French settlements in what is now Canada.
In the 18th century, the name Ruleau was also found in records from the Burgundy region of France. A winemaker named Pierre Ruleau, born in 1712, was known for his vineyards in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, which produced highly regarded wines.
Throughout history, the surname Ruleau has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Ruleau-sur-Somme, a small village in northern France, and Ruleau-en-Vexin, a former commune in the Île-de-France region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruleau
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruleau, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruleau 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 Ruleau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 102
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.2% · 6
- Two or more races5.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruleau
Ruleau appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 4,695 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 Ruleau 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 | #150,452 | #145,757 | 3.1% |
| Count | 109 | 115 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruleau bearers went from 109 to 115 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 4,695 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #145,757.
FAQ
Ruleau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruleau?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Ruleau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Ruleau?
Ruleau ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Ruleau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Ruleau.
Has Ruleau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruleau went from 109 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 6 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruleau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruleau, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Ruleau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruleau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.2%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Ruleau (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 Ruleau mean?
A surname derived from a diminutive of the French word "rouleau," meaning a small roll or scroll. 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 Ruleau (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 Americans have the surname Ruleau?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.