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

Ruskin, 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 Ruskin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ruskin in America

Ruskin is the 32396th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ruskin surname appeared 710 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ruskin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ruskin 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 Ruskin

The surname Ruskin originates from England and has its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "rysc" meaning rush and "kynn" meaning kin or family, suggesting a connection to a place where rushes grew abundantly or an ancestor who lived near such a location.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Rischin" or "Ryskin". This reference indicates the presence of the name in the county of Yorkshire during the 11th century.

The name Ruskin is closely associated with the historic county of Lancashire, particularly the town of Rusholme, which was formerly known as "Rushulme" or "Rusholme". This place name is believed to have influenced the development of the surname Ruskin in the region.

Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Ruskin, perhaps the most renowned is John Ruskin (1819-1900), an influential English art critic, writer, and social thinker. His works, such as "Modern Painters" and "The Stones of Venice," had a significant impact on Victorian-era art and architecture.

Another prominent figure was Joseph Ruskin (1837-1923), a British industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Ruskin College in Oxford, England, as a center for working-class education.

In the literary world, the name Ruskin is associated with John Ruskin Trevithick (1834-1897), an English author and editor who wrote several works on engineering and industrial history.

The Ruskin family also had a presence in the United States, with William Ruskin (1822-1901) being a notable American architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in New York City during the late 19th century.

Another individual of significance was John Ruskin Clark (1858-1941), an American physician and educator who served as the president of the University of Nevada, Reno, from 1912 to 1920.

While the surname Ruskin has its roots in medieval England, it has since been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields, including art, literature, industry, and academia, spanning multiple countries and centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ruskin

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

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 Ruskin 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 Ruskin 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 Ruskin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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