Explore the Family Name Raith

The meaning of Raith

1. Scottish: habitational name from Raith near Monkton in Ayrshire. 2. German and Swiss German: topographic name from a common field name, probably related to Middle High German reute ‘forest clearing’ (see Reuter). 3. German: nickname for someone with curly hair, from Middle High German reit ‘frizzy, curly’. Some characteristic forenames: German Erwin, Heinz, Helmuth, Johann, Nikolaus, Wolfgang.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Raith in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Raith has seen a slight decline in the last decade. In 2000, Raith was ranked 42,983 in terms of popularity among surnames, with approximately 474 individuals carrying this name. A decade later, in 2010, the rank dropped to 49,546 and the count decreased to 424, representing a 10.55% decrease in the number of people with this surname. This shift also affected the proportion per 100k people, which dropped from 0.18 in 2000 to 0.14 in 2010, indicating an overall -22.22% change.

20002010Change
Rank#42,983#49,546-15.27%
Count474424-10.55%
Proportion per 100k0.180.14-22.22%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Raith

Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that most people with the surname Raith identify as White, showing an increase from 90.72% in 2000 to 94.34% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying with two or more ethnicities decreased from 1.48% to zero over the same period. The representation of the Hispanic ethnicity within the Raith surname holders also saw a significant decrease, moving from 6.12% in 2000 to 3.54% in 2010. Meanwhile, there were no individuals with the Raith surname who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
White90.72%94.34%3.99%
Hispanic6.12%3.54%-42.16%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races1.48%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%