2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Rycraft
A locational surname derived from a place with a name containing "ry" meaning rye and "croft" meaning a small farm or enclosed field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Rycraft. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rycraft 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 Rycraft with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Rycraft in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rycraft, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rycraft
The surname Rycraft is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Lincolnshire, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "ry" or "rye," meaning a small stream or brook, and "croft," meaning a small enclosed field or dwelling.
The earliest known record of the surname Rycraft dates back to the late 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273 as "Ricardus de Ryecroft." This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a small stream or brook with an enclosed field or dwelling.
In the 14th century, variations of the name, such as "Rycroft" and "Ryecroft," can be found in various historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and spelling variations common during that time.
One notable early bearer of the surname was John Rycroft, a prominent landowner and merchant who lived in the city of York during the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents related to land transactions and trade in the region.
Another individual of note was Sir William Rycraft (c. 1540-1618), a military officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Stamford, Lincolnshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in suppressing the Northern Rebellion of 1569.
In the 17th century, the surname Rycraft appeared in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire. One notable bearer was Robert Rycraft (1625-1693), a prominent Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of St. Margaret's Church in Ipswich, Suffolk.
The surname Rycraft has also been associated with several place names, such as Ryecroft Farm in Lincolnshire and Ryecroft Lane in Sheffield, Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname itself.
Other notable individuals with the surname Rycraft include Thomas Rycraft (1760-1837), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, and Sir John Rycraft (1871-1947), a British businessman and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1935 to 1936.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rycraft
Among Census respondents with the surname Rycraft, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rycraft 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 Rycraft surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.4% · 98
- Two or more races7.6% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rycraft
Rycraft 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+5 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,078 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-22 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,474 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | +5 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 4,078 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 20,474 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 Rycraft 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 | #122,314 | #142,788 | -16.7% |
| Count | 141 | 119 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rycraft bearers went from 141 to 119 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 20,474 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #142,788.
FAQ
Rycraft surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rycraft?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Rycraft. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Rycraft?
Rycraft ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Rycraft. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rycraft.
Has Rycraft become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rycraft went from 141 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 22 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Rycraft?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rycraft, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.6%) and Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Rycraft in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rycraft appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.4%), Two or More Races (7.6%), Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Rycraft (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 Rycraft mean?
A locational surname derived from a place with a name containing "ry" meaning rye and "croft" meaning a small farm or enclosed field. 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 Rycraft (0.04 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 are called Rycraft?
Find out how many people are called Rycraft on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.