2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rusiewicz
A Polish surname derived from the word "rus" meaning "red" or "chestnut-colored."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Rusiewicz. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rusiewicz 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Rusiewicz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rusiewicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rusiewicz
The surname Rusiewicz originates from Poland and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "rus," meaning "red," and the suffix "-iewicz," indicating a patronymic surname. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rusiewicz surname can be found in the parish records of the village of Łukawiec in the Mazovian region of Poland, dating back to the late 16th century. In these records, a man named Jan Rusiewicz is mentioned as a landowner and respected member of the community.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Rusiewicz name appeared in various historical documents and records across different regions of Poland, including the areas of Podlasie, Lublin, and Masovia. It is worth noting that there were slight variations in the spelling, such as Rusiowicz or Ruśiewicz, which were likely due to regional dialects and scribal errors.
One notable figure bearing the Rusiewicz surname was Kazimierz Rusiewicz (1796-1867), a Polish military officer and engineer who served in the Polish-Russian War of 1830-1831. He later emigrated to France and worked on various engineering projects, including the construction of railways.
Another individual of historical significance was Aleksander Rusiewicz (1845-1911), a Polish painter and art professor who taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. His works, primarily depicting landscapes and architectural scenes, can be found in various museums and galleries across Poland.
In the 19th century, the Rusiewicz family was also known for their involvement in the Polish independence movement. One member, Józef Rusiewicz (1822-1884), was a prominent activist and writer who advocated for Polish autonomy and cultural preservation under Russian rule.
During the early 20th century, Stanisław Rusiewicz (1875-1941) gained recognition as a Polish botanist and academic. He worked as a professor at the University of Warsaw and made significant contributions to the field of plant taxonomy, particularly in the study of mosses and lichens.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the Rusiewicz surname throughout history, demonstrating the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with this name of Polish origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rusiewicz
Among Census respondents with the surname Rusiewicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rusiewicz 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 Rusiewicz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 105
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rusiewicz
Rusiewicz appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 5,086 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 Rusiewicz 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 | #147,253 | #152,339 | -3.5% |
| Count | 112 | 106 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rusiewicz bearers went from 112 to 106 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 5,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #152,339.
FAQ
Rusiewicz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rusiewicz?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Rusiewicz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Rusiewicz?
Rusiewicz ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 106 people with the surname Rusiewicz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Rusiewicz.
Has Rusiewicz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rusiewicz went from 112 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Rusiewicz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rusiewicz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Rusiewicz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rusiewicz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Rusiewicz (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 Rusiewicz mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "rus" meaning "red" or "chestnut-colored." 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 Rusiewicz (0.04 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 common is the surname Rusiewicz?
You can see how many people are called Rusiewicz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.