2000
#7,693
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,989
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.48
Rare Last name
Rutland
A locational surname referring to someone from the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,547 Americans carry the last name Rutland. That puts it at #8,014 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,380 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rutland 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rutland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 75,380
Census rank
#8,014
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,965 bearers of the surname Rutland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8014th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutland, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rutland
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutland, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rutland bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 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 Rutland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.9% · 2,892
- Black or African American20.0% · 794
- Two or more races3.7% · 147
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rutland
Rutland appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,168
+179 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 246 places
2020
#8,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,965
-203 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 75 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,693 | 3,989 | 1.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,939 | 4,168 | 1.41 | +179 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 246 places |
| 2020 | #8,014 | 3,965 | 1.33 | -203 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 75 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rutland surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,939 | #8,014 | -0.9% |
| Count | 4,168 | 3,965 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.33 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rutland bearers went from 4,168 to 3,965 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 75 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,939 to #8,014.
FAQ
Rutland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rutland?
Name Census estimates that about 4,547 living Americans carry the surname Rutland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,380 residents.
How common is Rutland?
Rutland ranks #8,014 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,965 people with the surname Rutland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,547), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rutland.
Has Rutland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rutland went from 4,168 recorded bearers to 3,965. That is a decrease of 203 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,939 to #8,014.
What does the Census say about the background of Rutland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutland, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 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 Rutland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.9% (2,892 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rutland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.9%), Black (20.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rutland (2000, 2010, 2020).
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 Rutland mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. 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 2020 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 Rutland (1.33 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 Americans have the surname Rutland?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.