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

Rusu, 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 Rusu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rusu in America

Rusu is the 36838th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rusu surname appeared 606 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 Rusu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rusu 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 Rusu

The surname RUSU has its origins in Romania, where it is a relatively common last name. It is believed to have derived from the Romanian word "rus," which means "blond" or "red-haired." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with reddish or fair hair.

RUSU is thought to have emerged as a surname in the 15th or 16th century, during the time when hereditary surnames became more widely adopted in Romania. The name is predominantly found in the historical regions of Wallachia and Moldavia, which were principalities within the territory of modern-day Romania.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RUSU surname can be found in a document from 1587, which mentions a certain "Gheorghe Rusu" from the village of Târgovişte in Wallachia. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, there are references to a noble family named RUSU in the town of Suceava, which was part of the Principality of Moldavia. This family is believed to have played a significant role in the local administration and politics of the region during that time.

One notable person with the RUSU surname was Ion Rusu (1828-1875), a Romanian journalist and political figure who played a prominent role in the movement for the unification of Wallachia and Moldavia into the modern state of Romania.

Another individual of historical significance was Andrei Rusu (1876-1949), a Romanian poet and translator who was known for his translations of works by Shakespeare, Goethe, and other literary giants.

In the 20th century, Mihai Rusu (1918-2008) was a renowned Romanian mathematician and academician who made significant contributions to the field of differential geometry.

It is also worth mentioning Dumitru Rusu (1901-1989), a Romanian painter and member of the prestigious Tinerețea Artistică (Artistic Youth) movement, whose works are celebrated for their vibrant colors and depictions of rural life.

While the RUSU surname is primarily found in Romania, it has also spread to other regions through migration and diaspora communities. However, it remains strongly rooted in its Romanian origins and continues to be a prominent surname in the country today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rusu

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

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

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

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