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

Rusyn, 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 Rusyn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rusyn in America

Rusyn is the 135593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rusyn surname appeared 124 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 Rusyn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rusyn 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 Rusyn

The surname Rusyn is of Ukrainian origin, originating in the Carpathian Mountain region of western Ukraine and eastern Slovakia. The name derives from the Ruthenian ethnic group, who were descendants of the ancient Rus' people who inhabited these areas.

The Rusyn name first appeared in historical records as early as the 12th century, when the region was part of the Kievan Rus' kingdom. It was commonly spelled as "Rusyn" or "Rusyn," with variations like "Rusyn" and "Rusyn" also found in old documents.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rusyn name can be found in the Galician-Volhynian Chronicle, a 13th-century manuscript that documented the history of the Principality of Galicia-Volhynia. The chronicle mentions several prominent individuals with the Rusyn surname, including the nobleman Vasyl Rusyn, who lived in the late 12th century.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Rusyn name became more widespread as the Ruthenian people migrated to other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. Notable individuals with this surname from this period include the Polish-Ruthenian writer and translator Hryhorii Rusyn (c. 1390-1457) and the Ruthenian Orthodox priest and theologian Ivan Rusyn (c. 1420-1498).

As the Rusyn people settled in various regions, their surname often took on localized spellings or variations. For example, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the name was sometimes spelled as "Rusznák" or "Rusynák," reflecting the Hungarian influence in the area.

One of the most famous individuals with the Rusyn surname was the Ukrainian-American writer and activist Reverend Hryhorii Rusyn (1888-1952), who played a significant role in promoting Rusyn culture and identity in the United States. Another notable figure was the Ukrainian-American artist and illustrator Yaroslav Rusyn (1892-1957), known for his illustrations in Ukrainian-language publications.

In the 20th century, the Rusyn surname continued to be prominent among individuals of Ruthenian descent, particularly in the Carpathian region and diaspora communities. For instance, the Ukrainian-Canadian artist and sculptor Mykhailo Rusyn (1901-1982) was a renowned figure in the Ukrainian-Canadian community.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rusyn

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

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

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

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