2000
#4,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,296
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.70
Rare Last name
Unruh
A German and Dutch surname derived from the word "unruhe," meaning "unrest" or "restless."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,212 Americans carry the last name Unruh. That puts it at #4,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Unruh 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
9.2K
1 in 37,207
Census rank
#4,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,033 bearers of the surname Unruh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Unruh, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Unruh
The surname Unruh originated in Germany, and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German words "un" and "ruowe," meaning "without rest" or "restless." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was particularly active or energetic.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Unruh date back to the 13th century. In 1281, a man named Conradus dictus Unruwe was mentioned in a document from the city of Cologne. The name also appears in records from various other German regions, such as Saxony and Bavaria, during the late Middle Ages.
One notable early bearer of the name was Bernhard Unruh, a German poet and scholar who lived in the 16th century (c. 1500-1570). He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time and is known for his translations of classical works.
In the 17th century, the name Unruh was associated with several notable individuals. Johann Unruh (1615-1682) was a German theologian and author, while Georg Unruh (1635-1711) was a respected jurist and legal scholar.
The 18th century saw the rise of Johann Friedrich Unruh (1711-1784), a German merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Hamburg. He funded the construction of several public buildings and educational institutions.
As the name spread throughout Germany, it also appeared in various place names, such as Unruhstadt (literally "Unruh's town") in modern-day Poland, which was once part of the Prussian territories.
Another notable bearer of the name was Wilhelm Unruh (1873-1945), a German writer and journalist who was active in the early 20th century. He is best known for his novels and short stories depicting life in rural Germany.
While the name Unruh is still found predominantly in German-speaking regions, it has also been carried by individuals of German descent in other parts of the world, including North America and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Unruh
Among Census respondents with the surname Unruh, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Unruh 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 Unruh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 7,530
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 209
- Two or more races2.2% · 174
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 39
- Black or African American0.5% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Unruh
Unruh 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
#4,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,835
+539 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 2.66
Rank movement Down 51 places
2020
#4,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,033
+198 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement Up 255 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,473 | 7,296 | 2.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,524 | 7,835 | 2.66 | +539 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 51 places |
| 2020 | #4,269 | 8,033 | 2.69 | +198 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 255 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 Unruh 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 | #4,524 | #4,269 | 5.6% |
| Count | 7,835 | 8,033 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.66 | 2.69 | 1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Unruh bearers went from 7,835 to 8,033 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 255 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,524 to #4,269.
FAQ
Unruh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Unruh?
Name Census estimates that about 9,212 living Americans carry the surname Unruh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,207 residents.
How common is Unruh?
Unruh ranks #4,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,033 people with the surname Unruh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,212), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Unruh.
Has Unruh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Unruh went from 7,835 recorded bearers to 8,033. That is an increase of 198 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,524 to #4,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Unruh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Unruh, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Unruh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (7,530 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Unruh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Unruh (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 Unruh mean?
A German and Dutch surname derived from the word "unruhe," meaning "unrest" or "restless." 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 Unruh (2.69 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 Unruh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.