2000
#13,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Rutt
A surname of German origin, derived from a shortened form of the given name Rudolf, meaning "famous wolf."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,355 Americans carry the last name Rutt. That puts it at #14,048 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,543 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rutt 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 Rutt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 145,543
Census rank
#14,048
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,054 bearers of the surname Rutt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14048th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutt, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rutt
The surname Rutt is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is thought to be a variant of the Old English word "ryt," which means a small stream or rivulet. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a topographic surname to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, one of the earliest comprehensive records of landowners in England, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Rutt or variations such as Rut, Rutte, or Ruttis. These entries indicate that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, primarily in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset in the southwest of England.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Rutt, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1212. Another early reference can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1332, which lists a Richard Rutt as a taxpayer.
The surname Rutt has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Rutt's Green in Gloucestershire and Rutt's Farm in Somerset. These place names may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in those regions.
Notable individuals with the surname Rutt include:
1. John Rutt (c. 1760-1841), an English Unitarian minister and author from Rivenhall, Essex.
2. Martha Rutt (1777-1850), a Quaker minister and abolitionist from Pennsylvania, United States.
3. John Towill Rutt (1760-1841), an English Unitarian minister and antiquarian from Rivenhall, Essex.
4. William Rutt (1799-1887), an English Quaker minister and author from Wiltshire.
5. John Rutt (1819-1893), a British civil engineer and surveyor who worked on the construction of several railway lines in England and Australia.
The surname Rutt has persisted throughout the centuries and can be found in various parts of the world today, particularly in England, the United States, and other English-speaking countries. While its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period, the name continues to hold a rich historical significance and connection to the landscapes and people of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rutt
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutt, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rutt 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 Rutt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 1,939
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 55
- Two or more races1.9% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rutt
Rutt 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
#13,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,205
+96 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 454 places
2020
#14,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,054
-151 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 321 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,273 | 2,109 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,727 | 2,205 | 0.75 | +96 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 454 places |
| 2020 | #14,048 | 2,054 | 0.69 | -151 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 321 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 Rutt 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 | #13,727 | #14,048 | -2.3% |
| Count | 2,205 | 2,054 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.69 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rutt bearers went from 2,205 to 2,054 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 321 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,727 to #14,048.
FAQ
Rutt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rutt?
Name Census estimates that about 2,355 living Americans carry the surname Rutt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,543 residents.
How common is Rutt?
Rutt ranks #14,048 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,054 people with the surname Rutt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,355), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Rutt.
Has Rutt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rutt went from 2,205 recorded bearers to 2,054. That is a decrease of 151 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,727 to #14,048.
What does the Census say about the background of Rutt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutt, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Rutt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (1,939 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rutt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Rutt (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 Rutt mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from a shortened form of the given name Rudolf, meaning "famous wolf." 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 Rutt (0.69 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 have the last name Rutt?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Rutt, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.