Rusoff
A Russian surname derived from the prefix "rus-", meaning a person of Russian or Slavic origin.
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Rusoff. That puts it at #143,847 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rusoff 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.
Rusoff appeared in the 2000 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#143,847
2000 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 Rusoff in its 2000 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143847th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rusoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rusoff
The surname Rusoff has its origins in Eastern Europe, likely emerging from regions that are now part of Poland, Russia, or Lithuania. The name seems to be derived from old Slavic roots, with "Rus" often referring to the historical East Slavic peoples or regions. The suffix "off" indicates a patronymic or locative origin, common in Slavic naming conventions. This makes the name Rusoff one tied either to a person named Rus, or a geographical location associated with Rus.
The earliest documented appearances of the surname Rusoff are sparse, given the upheavals and limited record-keeping in Eastern Europe during the Medieval period. However, the surname began appearing in more formal records around the 17th and 18th centuries as bureaucratic systems developed within these regions. One of the earliest known references comes from church records in Poland dating to the 1690s, indicating familial ties to land ownership in small villages.
A well-documented individual bearing this surname is Yevgeny Rusoff, born in 1774 in what is now Belarus. He was a merchant known for trading goods between the Russian Empire and Poland, helping to establish economic ties in the late 18th century. His records are some of the earliest indicating professional success tied to the name.
In the 19th century, Jacob Rusoff, born in 1821, stands out. He was an intellectual and educator in Ukraine, known for advocating literacy and education reform. He wrote several influential pamphlets on the importance of education for the rural poor, leaving a legacy in the regional school systems.
In the realm of art, Sara Rusoff, born in 1855 in Lithuania, gained recognition as a prominent painter. Her works, primarily focused on pastoral scenes and rural life, reflected the cultural and social dynamics of Eastern European Jewish communities. Her art provides historical insights into the lives of people in the region during the late 19th century.
By the early 20th century, the name spread further due to migration patterns. David Rusoff, born in 1898 in Poland, emigrated to the United States and made significant contributions to the field of medical research, particularly in oncology. His groundbreaking work in cancer treatment earned him widespread recognition in the medical community.
Another notable Rusoff is Anna Rusoff, born in 1912, who became a prominent figure in the literary world as an author and translator. Her works often translated Eastern European literature into English, introducing Western audiences to Slavic folklore and traditions. Anna's efforts played a role in preserving and sharing the cultural heritage of her ancestors.
The surname Rusoff tells a tale of Eastern European roots, migration, and diverse contributions to society across centuries. From merchants and educators to artists and scientists, individuals bearing this surname have left their mark on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rusoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Rusoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%.
The bar chart below shows how Rusoff bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2000 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 Rusoff surname at the time of the 2000 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2%
- Unknown or suppressed2.8%
FAQ
Rusoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rusoff?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Rusoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Rusoff?
Rusoff ranks #143,847 in the 2000 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 2000 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Rusoff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), 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 Rusoff.
Has Rusoff become more or less common over time?
Rusoff appears here with 2000 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Rusoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rusoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. These figures come from the 2000 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 Rusoff in the 2000 Census, accounting for 97.2%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rusoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2000 file are White (97.2%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Rusoff appears here with 2000 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Rusoff mean?
A Russian surname derived from the prefix "rus-", meaning a person of Russian or Slavic origin. 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 2000 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 Rusoff (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 many people have the last name Rusoff?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Rusoff at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.