2000
#6,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,233
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.94
Rare Last name
Ruppert
A German occupational surname referring to a person who makes or sells baskets or barrels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,653 Americans carry the last name Ruppert. That puts it at #6,596 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,632 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ruppert 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
5.7K
1 in 60,632
Census rank
#6,596
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,930 bearers of the surname Ruppert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6596th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruppert, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ruppert
The surname Ruppert originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in the area now known as Germany. It is believed to have emerged in the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 12th or 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Germanic personal name Rudolf or Rodulf, which means "famous wolf." This name was quite popular during the medieval period and gave rise to various surname variations, including Ruppert.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ruppert can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony. In this compilation, dated around 1350, there is a mention of a certain "Johannes Ruppert" from the town of Jena. This suggests that the surname was already established and in use by that time.
In the following centuries, the Ruppert surname continued to spread and appear in various records throughout German-speaking lands. For instance, in the 16th century, there are references to a merchant named Caspar Ruppert from the city of Nuremberg, who was involved in the lucrative trade of spices and textiles. Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Ruppert, a renowned potter from the village of Höhr-Grenzhausen in the Westerwald region, active in the late 17th century.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Ruppert surname was Matthias Ruppert, a master builder and architect born in Würzburg, Germany, around 1540. He is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several notable buildings, including the Prince-Bishops' Residence in Würzburg, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the 18th century, the Ruppert surname gained further prominence with the birth of Jakob Ruppert (1724-1792), a German-American brewer and entrepreneur. He emigrated to New York City in the mid-1700s and established one of the earliest and most successful breweries in the region, laying the foundation for a family legacy that would continue for generations.
Another notable figure was Johann Ruppert (1819-1887), a German painter and lithographer from the city of Mainz. He was renowned for his exquisite landscapes and portraits, and his works can be found in various museums and private collections throughout Germany and beyond.
Throughout history, the Ruppert surname has been represented by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, merchants, builders, artists, and entrepreneurs. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, its bearers have left their mark on diverse regions and cultures around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ruppert
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruppert, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ruppert 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 Ruppert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 4,544
- Two or more races3.2% · 156
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 140
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 40
- Black or African American0.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ruppert
Ruppert 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
#6,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,186
-47 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Down 490 places
2020
#6,596
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,930
-256 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Down 61 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,045 | 5,233 | 1.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,535 | 5,186 | 1.76 | -47 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 490 places |
| 2020 | #6,596 | 4,930 | 1.65 | -256 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 61 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 Ruppert 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 | #6,535 | #6,596 | -0.9% |
| Count | 5,186 | 4,930 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.76 | 1.65 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ruppert bearers went from 5,186 to 4,930 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 61 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,535 to #6,596.
FAQ
Ruppert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ruppert?
Name Census estimates that about 5,653 living Americans carry the surname Ruppert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,632 residents.
How common is Ruppert?
Ruppert ranks #6,596 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.65 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 4,930 people with the surname Ruppert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,653), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.65 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 Ruppert.
Has Ruppert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ruppert went from 5,186 recorded bearers to 4,930. That is a decrease of 256 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,535 to #6,596.
What does the Census say about the background of Ruppert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ruppert, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (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 Ruppert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (4,544 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ruppert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (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 Ruppert (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 Ruppert mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a person who makes or sells baskets or barrels. 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 Ruppert (1.65 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 Ruppert?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.