Explore the Family Name Rule
The meaning of Rule
1. English (of Norman origin): probably a habitational name from one or other of several places in northern France named Reuil or Rueil, such as Reuil (Aisne), Reuil (Marne), Réau (Seine-et-Marne), Rueil (Seine-et-Oise, Eure-et-Loir), and Reuil-sur-Brèche (Oise). Ruelle (Calvados) is also another possibility. 2. English: habitational name from Reule, a minor settlement now in the parish of Haughton (Staffordshire). The placename probably derives from Old English rūh ‘rough’ + halh ‘nook, corner of land’. 3. Scottish: habitational name from the lands of Rule (Roxburghshire), now Bedrule, Hallrule, and Abbotrule. The placename may be from Old English rūh ‘rough’ + wella ‘spring, stream’, or may embody an older British Celtic name. 4. Probably an altered form of German Ruhle.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rule in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rule has seen a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, this surname was ranked 5471 in terms of frequency and it slightly increased to 5573 by 2010, indicating a drop of 1.86 percent in its popularity ranking. However, in terms of absolute count, the number of people with the Rule surname actually increased from 5843 in 2000 to 6236 in 2010, reflecting a growth rate of 6.73 percent. The proportion of people bearing the Rule surname per 100,000 population decreased by 2.76 percent over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,471 | #5,573 | -1.86% |
| Count | 5,843 | 6,236 | 6.73% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.17 | 2.11 | -2.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rule
The ethnic identity associated with the Rule surname also saw some significant changes from 2000 to 2010, as reported by the Decennial U.S. Census. The proportions of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic more than doubled, increasing by 101.61 percent and 106.74 percent respectively. Meanwhile, the White category saw a drop of 4.87 percent over the decade. The proportion of individuals identifying as Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native with the Rule surname also increased by 11.15 percent and 15.91 percent respectively. Lastly, the percentage of individuals identifying with two or more races had a moderate increase of 47.66 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.75% | 83.48% | -4.87% |
| Black | 7.98% | 8.87% | 11.15% |
| Hispanic | 1.93% | 3.99% | 106.74% |
| Two or More Races | 1.28% | 1.89% | 47.66% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.62% | 1.25% | 101.61% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.51% | 15.91% |
Rule ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Rule is British & Irish, which comprises 50.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.2%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.1% |
| French & German | 28.2% |
| Scandinavian | 4.4% |
| Other | 17.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Rule
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Rule have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
What Rule haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Rule is E-V13, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-V13 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and J-CTS5368, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Webster, Hooper, Spencer, Dickerson, Parry, Garrett, Rudolph, Beer, Jarrett, Sharp.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Rule surname are: H1, U2_3_4_7_8_9, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early Balkan migrants
Haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a migrated in large numbers from the Balkans into Europe about 4,500 years ago, triggered by the beginning of the Balkan Bronze Age. During this migration, members of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a mainly followed rivers connecting the southern Balkans to northern-central Europe. Technological leaps often cause lineages to grow dramatically in numbers and in geographic range. The development of Bronze technology may have given men in haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a a competitive advantage over other men, causing haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a to proliferate and become widespread.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Rule have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Rule" Surname 47.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Rule" Surname 31.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Rule" Surname 20.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Rule" Surname 19.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Rule?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Rule are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition