Explore the Family Name Rui

The meaning of Rui

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 芮, meaning ‘coarse silk floss’ in ancient Chinese: from Rui (芮), the name of an ancient state (located in Shaanxi province) granted to Rui Bo (芮伯, the Earl of Rui), an official during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC).

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Rui has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010 in the United States. In 2000, it was ranked as the 123,314th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the rank of 70,403rd. That marks an impressive change of 42.91%. The count of individuals with this surname also swelled from 129 in 2000 to 278 in 2010, an increase of 115.5%. The proportion of the U.S. population with the surname per 100,000 people grew from 0.05 to 0.09 during the same period, indicating an 80% rise.

20002010Change
Rank#123,314#70,40342.91%
Count129278115.5%
Proportion per 100k0.050.0980%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rui

Concerning ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the last name Rui identify as Asian or Pacific Islander. This group increased from 66.67% in 2000 to 72.30% in 2010, marking an upward trend of 8.44%. The percentage of individuals identifying with two or more ethnicities appeared in the 2010 census at 2.52%, whereas this category wasn't represented in the 2000 data. On the contrary, the portion of individuals with the surname Rui who identified as white saw a decrease from 16.28% in 2000 to 11.87% in 2010, a decline of 27.09%. Similarly, those identifying as Hispanic decreased slightly from 13.18% to 12.59%. There were no individuals who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander66.67%72.3%8.44%
Hispanic13.18%12.59%-4.48%
White16.28%11.87%-27.09%
Two or More Races0%2.52%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%