2000
#7,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Rye
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a field of rye grain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,338 Americans carry the last name Rye. That puts it at #8,381 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,012 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rye 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 Rye with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,012
Census rank
#8,381
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,783 bearers of the surname Rye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8381st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rye, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rye
The surname RYE is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English word "ryge" meaning rye, a type of cereal grain. The name likely originated as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near rye fields or areas where rye was cultivated.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname RYE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with variations of the name, such as Rye, Rie, and Rye-man.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including Rye, Rie, and Ry. One notable bearer of the name was William Rye, who was recorded as a landowner in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.
During the 14th century, the surname continued to evolve, with spellings like Rye, Ry, and Rie being commonly found in records. In 1379, a John Rye was listed in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire.
The 16th century saw the surname being used in various parts of England, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Sir Thomas Rye (1505-1565), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1558.
In the 17th century, the surname was well-established in various regions of England, with bearers of the name found in counties such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Kent. One notable individual from this period was Nathaniel Rye (1630-1670), an English minister and author.
The 18th century saw the surname continuing to be prominent in England, with several individuals achieving notable positions. One such person was William Brenchley Rye (1748-1824), an English topographer and antiquarian.
In the 19th century, the surname RYE continued to be found throughout England, with several individuals making significant contributions in various fields. One notable bearer of the name was Walter Rye (1843-1929), an English historian and genealogist.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rye
Among Census respondents with the surname Rye, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rye 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 Rye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 3,250
- Two or more races5.0% · 189
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 152
- Black or African American2.6% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rye
Rye 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
#8,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,079
-41 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 682 places
2020
#8,381
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,783
-296 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 253 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,446 | 4,120 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,128 | 4,079 | 1.38 | -41 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 682 places |
| 2020 | #8,381 | 3,783 | 1.27 | -296 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 253 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 Rye 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 | #8,128 | #8,381 | -3.1% |
| Count | 4,079 | 3,783 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 1.27 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rye bearers went from 4,079 to 3,783 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 253 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,128 to #8,381.
FAQ
Rye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rye?
Name Census estimates that about 4,338 living Americans carry the surname Rye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,012 residents.
How common is Rye?
Rye ranks #8,381 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,783 people with the surname Rye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,338), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Rye.
Has Rye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rye went from 4,079 recorded bearers to 3,783. That is a decrease of 296 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,128 to #8,381.
What does the Census say about the background of Rye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rye, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Rye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (3,250 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Rye (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 Rye mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a field of rye grain. 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 Rye (1.27 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 surname Rye?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.