2000
#1,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,010
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.64
Uncommon Last name
Rutledge
A topographic surname referring to someone living near a cleared area or field using an Old English term.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,113 Americans carry the last name Rutledge. That puts it at #1,361 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,773 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rutledge 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 Rutledge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,773
Census rank
#1,361
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,388 bearers of the surname Rutledge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1361st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rutledge
The surname Rutledge is of English origin and dates back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "rude" meaning "red" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing." The original bearers of this surname were likely individuals who lived near or worked in a red woodland area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Roderic de Rudelea in Bedfordshire. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Rutledge family is believed to have been prominent in the county of Hertfordshire, England. Records from this period show various spellings such as Rudeleg, Rudelegh, and Rutlege.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Feet of Fines, a legal document, which mentions a John Rutlege of Hertfordshire in 1346. This record suggests that the spelling had stabilized to its current form by that time.
Notable individuals with the surname Rutledge include Sir John Rutledge (1739-1800), one of the signers of the United States Constitution and the 39th Governor of South Carolina. Another prominent figure was Edward Rutledge (1749-1800), a delegate to the Continental Congress and the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence.
In the literary world, Ann Rutledge (1813-1835) was the first love interest of Abraham Lincoln, and her memory had a lasting impact on the former President. The poet Archibald Rutledge (1883-1973) was a renowned American writer and teacher, known for his works celebrating the natural beauty of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Lastly, James Rutledge (1834-1899) was a British explorer and adventurer who is credited with being the first European to explore the interior of the Antarctic Peninsula in the late 19th century.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Rutledge surname throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence across various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rutledge
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Rutledge 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 Rutledge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.6% · 18,428
- Black or African American18.7% · 4,746
- Two or more races4.3% · 1,096
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 839
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 147
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 132
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rutledge
Rutledge 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
#1,306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,887
+877 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 9.11
Rank movement Down 65 places
2020
#1,361
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,388
-1,499 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 8.49
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,241 | 26,010 | 9.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,306 | 26,887 | 9.11 | +877 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 65 places |
| 2020 | #1,361 | 25,388 | 8.49 | -1,499 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 55 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 Rutledge 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 | #1,306 | #1,361 | -4.2% |
| Count | 26,887 | 25,388 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 9.11 | 8.49 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rutledge bearers went from 26,887 to 25,388 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,306 to #1,361.
FAQ
Rutledge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rutledge?
Name Census estimates that about 29,113 living Americans carry the surname Rutledge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,773 residents.
How common is Rutledge?
Rutledge ranks #1,361 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,388 people with the surname Rutledge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,113), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Rutledge.
Has Rutledge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rutledge went from 26,887 recorded bearers to 25,388. That is a decrease of 1,499 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,306 to #1,361.
What does the Census say about the background of Rutledge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutledge, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (18.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Rutledge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.6% (18,428 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rutledge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.6%), Black (18.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Rutledge (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 Rutledge mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone living near a cleared area or field using an Old English term. 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 Rutledge (8.49 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 people share the surname Rutledge?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.