Find out how popular the last name Rusch is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rusch.

Rusch, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rusch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rusch in America

Rusch is the 7113th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rusch surname appeared 4,703 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rusch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rusch to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rusch

The surname Rusch is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old High German word "rusch," which means "rush" or "reed," referring to the plant that grows in marshy areas. This suggests that the name's earliest bearers may have lived near such wetlands or had an occupation related to the processing or harvesting of rushes.

The name Rusch can be found in various historical records from the 13th century onwards, particularly in regions of present-day Germany and Switzerland. One notable example is the mention of a Henricus dictus Rusche in a document from the city of Cologne, dated 1293. This entry indicates that the name was already in use as a surname at that time.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Rusche, Ruesche, and Rüsche, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. For instance, in 1349, a Johannes Ruesche is recorded in the town of Rottweil, located in what is now the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

The earliest known bearer of the Rusch surname was likely a resident of a place name derived from the word "rusch," such as Ruschberg or Ruschau, which were small settlements in German-speaking regions. These place names suggest that the surname may have initially denoted a person's place of origin or residence.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname Rusch. One example is Johann Baptist Rusch (1620-1696), a German composer and organist who lived and worked in the city of Nuremberg during the Baroque period. Another is Johann Philipp Rusch (1732-1781), a German botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the 18th century.

Other historical figures with the Rusch surname include Karl Rusch (1862-1921), a German politician and member of the Reichstag, and Gerhard Rusch (1905-1986), a German artist and sculptor known for his works in bronze and stone. Additionally, Johann Jakob Rusch (1699-1769) was a Swiss theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Basel.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rusch

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rusch.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rusch was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rusch has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rusch was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rusch, please contact us.

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