2000
#5,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,162
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.28
Rare Last name
Runyan
An English occupational surname referring to a messenger or courier, derived from the Middle English word "ronyon."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,880 Americans carry the last name Runyan. That puts it at #5,594 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,819 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Runyan 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
6.9K
1 in 49,819
Census rank
#5,594
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,000 bearers of the surname Runyan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5594th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Runyan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Runyan
The surname RUNYAN has its origins in the Germanic and Anglo-Saxon cultures. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "rune" meaning a secret or mystery, and "an" meaning one. This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone who had knowledge of runes or was considered wise.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 11th century in England, where it appeared in various forms such as Runian, Runyhan, and Runeyan. These variations reflect the fluid nature of spelling and pronunciation during that time period.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may be early instances of the name, including Runwine and Runwi. However, the exact connection to the modern spelling of RUNYAN is unclear.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname RUNYAN was John Runyan, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1450. He was a prominent landowner and member of the local gentry.
In the 16th century, the RUNYAN name appeared in various parish records and tax rolls across England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Dorset. This suggests the name may have had a strong presence in the southwestern regions of the country during that time.
A notable bearer of the RUNYAN surname was Thomas Runyan (1575-1641), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on religious topics. He served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.
During the 17th century, some members of the RUNYAN family emigrated to the American colonies, particularly in the mid-Atlantic and southern regions. One of the earliest recorded instances in America was Cornelius Runyan, who settled in New Jersey in the 1660s.
Another significant figure was William Runyan (1670-1737), a Quaker preacher and landowner in Pennsylvania. He was one of the founders of the community of Rancocas, and his descendants played an important role in the early settlement and development of the area.
In the 18th century, the RUNYAN name was well-established in various parts of the United States, with families living in states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. Some notable individuals from this period include John Runyan (1725-1799), a Revolutionary War soldier from North Carolina, and James Runyan (1760-1835), a prominent businessman and landowner in Ohio.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Runyan
Among Census respondents with the surname Runyan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Runyan 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 Runyan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 5,486
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 220
- Two or more races3.5% · 208
- Black or African American0.6% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Runyan
Runyan 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
#5,518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,301
+139 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.14
Rank movement Down 310 places
2020
#5,594
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,000
-301 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Down 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,208 | 6,162 | 2.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,518 | 6,301 | 2.14 | +139 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 310 places |
| 2020 | #5,594 | 6,000 | 2.01 | -301 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 76 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 Runyan 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 | #5,518 | #5,594 | -1.4% |
| Count | 6,301 | 6,000 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.14 | 2.01 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Runyan bearers went from 6,301 to 6,000 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,518 to #5,594.
FAQ
Runyan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Runyan?
Name Census estimates that about 6,880 living Americans carry the surname Runyan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,819 residents.
How common is Runyan?
Runyan ranks #5,594 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,000 people with the surname Runyan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,880), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Runyan.
Has Runyan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Runyan went from 6,301 recorded bearers to 6,000. That is a decrease of 301 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,518 to #5,594.
What does the Census say about the background of Runyan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Runyan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Runyan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (5,486 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Runyan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Runyan (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 Runyan mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a messenger or courier, derived from the Middle English word "ronyon." 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 Runyan (2.01 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 Runyan?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Runyan is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.