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

Rutner, 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 Rutner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rutner in America

Rutner is the 158432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rutner surname appeared 102 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 Rutner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rutner 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 Rutner

The surname Rutner originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic word "rutn," which means "to clear land." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were likely involved in land cultivation or forestry work.

The earliest recorded instances of the Rutner surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Historical records from that period mention individuals with variations of the spelling, such as "Rutnair" and "Ruettner."

One notable early reference to the name can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae," a collection of historical documents from Saxony, which mentions a certain "Heinricus Rutnere" in an entry dated 1285.

Over the centuries, the Rutner surname spread to various parts of Germany, and several individuals bearing this name achieved notable status. For instance, Johann Rutner (1492-1572) was a prominent German theologian and Protestant reformer who played a role in the Reformation movement.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Rutner (1628-1703), a German composer and organist who served as the court Kapellmeister in Dresden during the late 17th century.

In the 19th century, Karl Rutner (1825-1897) was a German architect and urban planner who designed several important buildings in Berlin and other cities.

The Rutner surname also made its way to other parts of Europe, including Austria, where the artist Hilda Rutner (1895-1977) gained recognition for her landscape paintings and portraits.

Additionally, in the early 20th century, Hans Rutner (1901-1968) was a German-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Riverside Church.

While the surname Rutner may have originated from humble beginnings related to land cultivation, it has since been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including academics, artists, and professionals, leaving a lasting impact on their respective fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rutner

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

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

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

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