2000
#32,417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 669
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Rulli
An Italian surname possibly derived from an occupational word meaning "barrel maker."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 795 Americans carry the last name Rulli. That puts it at #35,059 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 431,138 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rulli 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
795
1 in 431,138
Census rank
#35,059
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
693
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 693 bearers of the surname Rulli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35059th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rulli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rulli
The surname Rulli has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is derived from the Italian word "rullo," which translates to "roller" or "cylinder." This connection suggests that the name may have been associated with occupations or trades involving rollers, such as papermaking, textile manufacturing, or construction.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Rulli can be traced back to the 14th century in various Italian historical documents and records. One notable mention is found in the "Liber Censuum" of the Republic of Genoa from 1390, which lists a certain "Guglielmo Rulli" as a merchant operating in the city.
In the 15th century, the surname Rulli appears in the Venetian archives, where a "Niccolò Rulli" is documented as a skilled craftsman involved in the construction of the famous Rialto Bridge in Venice, completed in 1591.
The name Rulli has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 16th century, a renowned Italian poet and scholar, Giovanni Battista Rulli (1542-1621), hailed from the city of Ferrara and was celebrated for his works in Latin and Italian literature.
Another prominent figure bearing the surname Rulli was Giacomo Rulli (1684-1757), an Italian architect and engineer from Modena. He was renowned for his contributions to the design and construction of several notable buildings, including the Palazzo Ducale in Modena and the Church of San Carlo in Reggio Emilia.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Rulli is linked to Pietro Rulli (1821-1887), an Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was instrumental in the unification of Italy.
In the 20th century, a notable bearer of the surname Rulli was Gino Rulli (1925-2018), an Italian-American artist and sculptor. Born in Italy, he immigrated to the United States and gained recognition for his abstract and modernist artworks, which can be found in various museums and galleries across the country.
While the surname Rulli is primarily associated with Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and South America, through immigration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rulli
Among Census respondents with the surname Rulli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rulli 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 Rulli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 648
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 25
- Two or more races1.9% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rulli
Rulli 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
#33,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 674
+5 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 1,355 places
2020
#35,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 693
+19 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 1,287 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,417 | 669 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,772 | 674 | 0.23 | +5 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 1,355 places |
| 2020 | #35,059 | 693 | 0.23 | +19 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 1,287 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 Rulli 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 | #33,772 | #35,059 | -3.8% |
| Count | 674 | 693 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rulli bearers went from 674 to 693 (+2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,287 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,772 to #35,059.
FAQ
Rulli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rulli?
Name Census estimates that about 795 living Americans carry the surname Rulli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 431,138 residents.
How common is Rulli?
Rulli ranks #35,059 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 693 people with the surname Rulli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (795), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Rulli.
Has Rulli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rulli went from 674 recorded bearers to 693. That is an increase of 19 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #33,772 to #35,059.
What does the Census say about the background of Rulli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rulli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Rulli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (648 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rulli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Rulli (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 Rulli mean?
An Italian surname possibly derived from an occupational word meaning "barrel maker." 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 Rulli (0.23 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 share the surname Rulli?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.