Find out how popular the last name Rys is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rys.
Of Polish origin, a locational surname referring to someone from a place named Rys.
Rys, 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 Rys surname is from the 2010 census data.
Rys is the 28100th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Rys surname appeared 852 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rys.
We can also compare 2010 data for Rys 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 28100 | 25076 | 11.37% |
| Count | 852 | 928 | -8.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.29 | 0.34 | -15.87% |
The surname "Rys" is believed to have originated in Poland, where it first appeared in the 14th century. It is derived from the old Polish word "rys," meaning a lynx or a wildcat. The name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a quick or agile nature, similar to the movements of a lynx.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Rys" can be found in the Akta Grodzkie, a collection of court records from the Polish city of Krakow, dating back to the 15th century. In these records, a man named Jan Rys is mentioned in relation to a land dispute in the year 1457.
Another notable historical reference to the name "Rys" comes from the Metryka Koronna, a set of Polish royal records from the 16th century. In these records, a nobleman named Andrzej Rys is listed as a participant in a military campaign against the Livonian Order in 1564.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name "Rys" was Piotr Rys, a Polish playwright and poet who lived from 1505 to 1568. He is best known for his satirical works that criticized the nobility and the clergy of his time.
In the 17th century, the name "Rys" was also found in the Grodzkie Akta, a collection of court records from the city of Poznan. These records mention a merchant named Marcin Rys, who was involved in a trade dispute in 1632.
Another notable figure with the surname "Rys" was Józef Rys, a Polish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1777 and served in the Polish Legions, eventually rising to the rank of colonel.
Throughout history, there have been several other individuals with the surname "Rys" who have made their mark in various fields, such as art, literature, and academia. However, due to the age and scarcity of historical records, their specific details and accomplishments are often difficult to verify with certainty.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rys.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rys was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 94.72% | 807 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.59% | 5 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | 3.76% | 32 |
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 Rys has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.72% | 95.15% | -0.45% |
| Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.59% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | 1.51% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 3.76% | 3.02% | 21.83% |
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 Rys was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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