Explore the Family Name Ruf
The meaning of Ruf
German: from a shortened form of the personal name Rudolf. Some characteristic forenames: German Egon, Dieter, Bernhard, Elke, Erwin, Fritz, Gerhard, Heinz, Hermann, Horst, Juerg, Jurgen.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ruf in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Ruf has slightly decreased over a decade. In 2000, Ruf was ranked as the 15071st most popular surname, while in 2010 it fell to the 16130th position, reflecting a change of -7.03. The count of individuals with this surname also dropped marginally from 1796 to 1794 between 2000 and 2010, demonstrating a minor decrease of -0.11. The proportion per 100k people also indicated a slight decrease from 0.67 to 0.61.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,071 | #16,130 | -7.03% |
| Count | 1,796 | 1,794 | -0.11% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.67 | 0.61 | -8.96% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ruf
With regards to ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some changes for individuals carrying the Ruf surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as White decreased slightly from 95.88 to 94.48. However, there were increases in other ethnic identities. The Asian/Pacific Islander category saw a rise from 0.89 to 1.00, and those identifying with two or more races increased from 1.17 to 1.62. There was also a notable increase in the Hispanic category from 1.39 to 2.23. Furthermore, the census recorded an emergence in Black ethnicity from 0 to 0.67, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained at 0.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.88% | 94.48% | -1.46% |
| Hispanic | 1.39% | 2.23% | 60.43% |
| Two or More Races | 1.17% | 1.62% | 38.46% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.89% | 1% | 12.36% |
| Black | 0% | 0.67% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |