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

Rutland, 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 Rutland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rutland in America

Rutland is the 7939th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rutland surname appeared 4,168 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rutland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rutland 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 Rutland

The surname Rutland has its origins in England, emerging in the 12th century. It is derived from the historic county of Rutland, one of the smallest counties in England. The name Rutland itself is believed to come from the Old English words "hryth" meaning "red" and "land" referring to the reddish soil found in the area.

One of the earliest records of the surname Rutland can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert de Rutland. The name also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Rotelande." This suggests that the name may have been in use even before the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

The Rutland family played a significant role in English history. One notable member was Edward Manners, 3rd Earl of Rutland (1549-1587), who served as Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was John Manners, 9th Earl of Rutland (1638-1711), who was a supporter of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and served as Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire.

In the literary world, Sir Thomas Overbury (1581-1613), a poet and essayist, was born with the surname Rutland. His work "A Wife, Now the Wife of Sir Thomas Overbury" is considered one of the earliest examples of character writing in English literature.

The Rutland name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Rutland Water, a reservoir and popular tourist destination in the historic county of Rutland. Additionally, there are several villages and towns bearing the name Rutland, including Rutland in Leicestershire and Rutland in Lincolnshire.

Other notable individuals with the surname Rutland throughout history include:

1. John Rutland (1609-1666), an English clergyman and scholar.
2. William Rutland (1619-1676), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament.
3. Edith Rutland (1884-1959), an English novelist and playwright.
4. Roger Rutland (1907-1991), a British actor and stage director.
5. Katharine Rutland (1901-1985), an English actress and writer.

The surname Rutland has a rich history that spans centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the historic county of Rutland in England. While the name has evolved over time, it continues to hold significance and is associated with many notable figures throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rutland

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!