Explore the Family Name Rufus
The meaning of Rufus
1. English: variant of Ruff (see Rough), with post-medieval excrescent -(e)s. The spelling of the surname has been modified to look like the personal name Rufus, which came into vernacular use in England in the 19th century. This personal name, however, may be the origin of the surname among African Americans (see 3 below). 2. Slovak (mainly Rúfus): nickname for a red-haired man, from Latin rufus ‘red(dish), red-haired’. 3. African (mainly Nigeria) and probably also African American: from the personal name Rufus, borne by various minor early Christian saints. Originally it was a Latin nickname for someone with red hair (see 2 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rufus in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rufus saw a slight shift between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the name was ranked 19,710 in popularity, but by 2010 it had risen slightly to a rank of 19,966. This represents a negative change of 1.3%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased by 6.17% over this decade, growing from 1,265 in 2000 to 1,343 in 2010. The proportion of the surname Rufus per 100,000 people also experienced a marginal decrease of 2.13%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #19,710 | #19,966 | -1.3% |
| Count | 1,265 | 1,343 | 6.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.47 | 0.46 | -2.13% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rufus
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the Rufus surname. From 2000 to 2010, there were shifts in the percentages across different ethnicities. The largest ethnic group identifying with the Rufus surname is Black, which increased from 73.52% in 2000 to 76.10% in 2010. The second largest ethnicity, White, decreased from 19.29% to 14.52% during the same period. There was also a notable increase in individuals of two or more races, from 2.13% in 2000 to 3.50% in 2010. Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities all saw minor increases over this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 73.52% | 76.1% | 3.51% |
| White | 19.29% | 14.52% | -24.73% |
| Two or More Races | 2.13% | 3.5% | 64.32% |
| Hispanic | 2.21% | 2.61% | 18.1% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.34% | 1.64% | 22.39% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.5% | 1.64% | 9.33% |