2000
#9,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,157
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Rutz
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from a pet form of the personal name Rudolf, meaning "famous wolf."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,654 Americans carry the last name Rutz. That puts it at #12,739 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,146 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rutz 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.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 129,146
Census rank
#12,739
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,314 bearers of the surname Rutz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12739th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rutz
The surname Rutz is believed to have originated in Switzerland, particularly in the canton of Graubünden, in the late Middle Ages. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Rutz," which means "clearing" or "area cleared of trees."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rutz can be found in the Swiss village of Tschiertschen, where a document from the year 1466 mentions a man named Hans Rutz. This document is part of the historical archives of the region and provides valuable insight into the early use of the name.
In the 16th century, the Rutz surname appeared in various records and documents across Switzerland, particularly in the cantons of Graubünden, St. Gallen, and Appenzell. During this time, the name was often spelled in different variations, such as Rutz, Rütz, and Ruz, reflecting the regional dialects and orthographic conventions of the time.
One notable bearer of the Rutz surname was Jakob Rutz (1533-1600), a Swiss Protestant reformer and theologian from Graubünden. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Reformed Church in Switzerland and authored several theological works.
In the 17th century, the Rutz family spread beyond Switzerland, with some members settling in neighboring regions of Germany and Austria. One example is Johann Rutz (1638-1712), a German-Swiss architect and builder who worked on several notable projects in the city of Augsburg, Germany.
The 18th century saw the rise of another notable figure with the Rutz surname, Johann Jakob Rutz (1745-1821). He was a Swiss painter and engraver from St. Gallen, known for his landscapes and portraits. His works can be found in various museums and private collections across Switzerland.
As the Rutz family continued to expand and migrate, their name appeared in different parts of Europe and even beyond. For instance, in the 19th century, there was a Swiss-American farmer named Johann Rutz (1818-1896) who settled in the state of Wisconsin, United States.
Another significant figure with the Rutz surname was the German philosopher and psychologist Wilhelm Rutz (1880-1940). He made important contributions to the field of psychology and was known for his work on the psychology of values and attitudes.
Throughout history, the surname Rutz has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, craftsmen, and professionals. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its origins can be traced back to the Swiss region of Graubünden, where it first emerged as a surname associated with the clearing of forested areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rutz
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rutz 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 Rutz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 1,990
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 186
- Two or more races4.2% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 17
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rutz
Rutz 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
#9,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,282
+125 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 404 places
2020
#12,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,314
-968 bearers (-29.5%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 2,885 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,450 | 3,157 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,854 | 3,282 | 1.11 | +125 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 404 places |
| 2020 | #12,739 | 2,314 | 0.77 | -968 bearers (-29.5%) | Down 2,885 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 Rutz 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 | #9,854 | #12,739 | -29.3% |
| Count | 3,282 | 2,314 | -29.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 0.77 | -30.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rutz bearers went from 3,282 to 2,314 (-29.5% change). The surname moved down 2,885 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,854 to #12,739.
FAQ
Rutz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rutz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,654 living Americans carry the surname Rutz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 129,146 residents.
How common is Rutz?
Rutz ranks #12,739 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,314 people with the surname Rutz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,654), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Rutz.
Has Rutz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rutz went from 3,282 recorded bearers to 2,314. That is a decrease of 968 (-29.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,854 to #12,739.
What does the Census say about the background of Rutz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rutz, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Rutz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (1,990 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rutz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Hispanic (8.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Rutz (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 Rutz mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from a pet form of the personal 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 Rutz (0.77 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 Rutz?
You can see how many people have the last name Rutz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.