2000
#1,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,853
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.99
Uncommon Last name
Rushing
An English occupational surname referring to someone who made a living harvesting and processing rushes for thatching or weaving.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,578 Americans carry the last name Rushing. That puts it at #1,871 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,884 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rushing 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
22K
1 in 15,884
Census rank
#1,871
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,817 bearers of the surname Rushing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1871st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rushing, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rushing
The surname Rushing has its origins in England, specifically in the county of Oxfordshire, where it first appeared in the late 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "riscing," which means "a rush" or "a reed." It is believed that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a place where rushes grew abundantly.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rushing can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like document from 1273. The entry mentions a "William le Risching," indicating that the name was already in use at that time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various other historical records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Weston in Oxfordshire, where a "John Russhing" was mentioned in 1348.
The Rushing surname has also been associated with certain place names in England. For example, there is a village called Rushmere in Suffolk, which may have been connected to the name's early origins.
One notable individual with the surname Rushing was Sir Thomas Rushing (1494-1563), a member of the English gentry and a landowner in Oxfordshire. He served as a Member of Parliament for the county during the reign of Queen Mary I.
Another historical figure with this surname was John Rushing (1558-1612), an English poet and playwright who lived during the Elizabethan era. He is best known for his satirical works, which often criticized the social and political issues of his time.
In the 17th century, the Rushing name appeared in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America. One of the earliest settlers with this surname was William Rushing, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1635 and later moved to Connecticut.
During the 18th century, a notable figure named Thomas Rushing (1720-1789) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Virginia. He played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a supplier for the Continental Army.
In the 19th century, the name Rushing gained prominence in the southern United States, particularly in states like Georgia and Alabama. One individual of note was James M. Rushing (1819-1887), a successful businessman and plantation owner in Georgia.
Throughout its history, the Rushing surname has been associated with various occupations and backgrounds, from landed gentry and merchants to poets and playwrights, showcasing the diverse origins and paths of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rushing
Among Census respondents with the surname Rushing, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Rushing 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 Rushing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 13,765
- Black or African American17.9% · 3,361
- Two or more races4.4% · 829
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 665
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 98
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rushing
Rushing 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
#1,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,604
+751 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 6.65
Rank movement Down 88 places
2020
#1,871
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,817
-787 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 6.30
Rank movement Down 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,739 | 18,853 | 6.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,827 | 19,604 | 6.65 | +751 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 88 places |
| 2020 | #1,871 | 18,817 | 6.30 | -787 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 44 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 Rushing 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 | #1,827 | #1,871 | -2.4% |
| Count | 19,604 | 18,817 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 6.65 | 6.30 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rushing bearers went from 19,604 to 18,817 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,827 to #1,871.
FAQ
Rushing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rushing?
Name Census estimates that about 21,578 living Americans carry the surname Rushing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,884 residents.
How common is Rushing?
Rushing ranks #1,871 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,817 people with the surname Rushing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,578), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Rushing.
Has Rushing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rushing went from 19,604 recorded bearers to 18,817. That is a decrease of 787 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,827 to #1,871.
What does the Census say about the background of Rushing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rushing, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Rushing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (13,765 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rushing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Black (17.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Rushing (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 Rushing mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who made a living harvesting and processing rushes for thatching or weaving. 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 Rushing (6.30 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 Rushing?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.