Explore the Family Name Ruhr

The meaning of Ruhr

German: 1. topographic name from any of several field names in Westphalia and Rhineland. 2. possibly an occupational name for someone who worked with a pack of hounds, from Middle High German rour(e) ‘pack (of hounds)’.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Ruhr has seen a slight decrease in popularity over a decade. In 2000, the surname ranked at 72,717 with a count of 249, and a proportion of 0.09 per 100,000 people. By 2010, it had dropped to a rank of 80,131 with a count of 237, and a proportion of 0.08 per 100,000 people. This represents a 10.2% drop in rank and a 4.82% drop in count.

20002010Change
Rank#72,717#80,131-10.2%
Count249237-4.82%
Proportion per 100k0.090.08-11.11%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ruhr

Regarding its ethnicity distribution, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of individuals with the Ruhr surname identified as White, making up 98.8% in 2000 and 94.51% in 2010. There was no recorded data for Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities in both years. However, there was a notable increase in those identifying as Hispanic, which went from 0% in 2000 to 3.8% in 2010.

20002010Change
White98.8%94.51%-4.34%
Hispanic0%3.8%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%