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

Rutter, 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 Rutter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rutter in America

Rutter is the 4890th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rutter surname appeared 7,205 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rutter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rutter 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 Rutter

The surname Rutter has its origins in England, where it first emerged as an occupational name during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "rotour," which means "a maker of wheels" or "wheelwright." This occupational name would have been given to someone who crafted wheels, likely for carts or wagons.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Rutter can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, where a Richard le Ruter is mentioned in 1279. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John le Rotour is listed.

In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are no direct references to the surname Rutter. However, there are several mentions of place names that may have contributed to the surname's development, such as Rotherham and Rotherhithe.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Rutter was John Rutter, a prominent English composer and musician who lived from 1945 to 2022. He was best known for his choral compositions and arrangements, particularly his works for Christmas and other sacred occasions.

Another notable figure was Sir Benjamin Rutter, an English industrialist and businessman who lived from 1796 to 1874. He played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in Yorkshire and was instrumental in the construction of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

In the realm of literature, the surname Rutter is associated with Henry Rutter, an English writer and playwright from the late 16th century. He is best known for his play "The Cruel Wars in the Netherlands," which was published in 1598.

The name Rutter has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Rutter's Green in Essex and Rutter's Hill in Kent. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or been derived from individuals bearing the name.

Finally, it is worth mentioning John Rutter, a 17th-century English clergyman and author who published several works on religious subjects, including "A Treatise of the Nature and Perpetuity of a Gospel Church" in 1654.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rutter

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

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

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

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