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

Rutherford, 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 Rutherford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rutherford in America

Rutherford is the 1250th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rutherford surname appeared 28,079 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Rutherford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rutherford 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 Rutherford

The surname Rutherford has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hryther" meaning cattle and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing, indicating that the name likely referred to a cattle crossing or a ford used by cattle herders. The name is associated with the town of Rutherford in the Scottish Borders region.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Rutherford can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish nobles who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "de Rothirford," reflecting an older spelling variation.

In the 14th century, the Rutherford family established themselves as a prominent clan in the Scottish Borders, with their ancestral seat at Rutherford Castle near the village of Maxton. The Rutherfords played a significant role in the Border Reivers, a series of raids and conflicts that took place along the Anglo-Scottish border during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname Rutherford include Sir Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661), a Scottish Presbyterian theologian and author who was a prominent figure in the Covenanter movement. Another influential figure was Daniel Rutherford (1749-1819), a Scottish chemist and physician who discovered nitrogen gas and its role in the Earth's atmosphere.

In the field of science, Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937), a New Zealand-born British physicist, made groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of atomic structure and radioactivity. He is often referred to as the "father of nuclear physics" and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908.

Other notable figures include Andrew Rutherford (1832-1899), a Scottish-born politician and journalist who served as the first Premier of New Zealand from 1891 to 1893, and Mark Rutherford (1832-1913), the pen name of William Hale White, an English novelist and essayist known for his works exploring themes of religion and social commentary.

The surname Rutherford has a rich history, with its roots firmly planted in the Scottish Borders region and a notable presence among influential figures across various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rutherford

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

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

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

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