Explore the Family Name Rus
The meaning of Rus
1. Czech, Slovak, and Romanian (of Slavic origin): ethnic name for a Russian, ultimately derived from an Old Norse term meaning ‘oarsman, rower’ (from the root roths-), a reference to the fact that the Russian state was established by Scandinavians who rowed their ships up rivers inland from the Baltic sea. In some cases this may also be origin of the Slovenian and Croatian surname (see 3 below). 2. Czech: descriptive nickname from the adjective rusý ‘blond’. 3. Slovenian and Croatian: nickname for a red-haired man, from rus ‘brownish red’. Compare Ros 6 and Russ 6, see also 1 above. 4. Spanish (mainly Jaén): habitational name from a place called Rus, in Jaén, based on Latin rus ‘countryside; village’. Some characteristic forenames: Romanian Simion, Grigore, Doina, Dorel, Ilie, Liviu, Petru, Vasile.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rus in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Rus has increased in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 28,049 in popularity, but by 2010, it had risen significantly to rank 23,457. The count of individuals with this surname also grew from 804 to 1,084, an increase of nearly 35%. The proportion of people bearing the name Rus per 100,000 also increased by approximately 23%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,049 | #23,457 | 16.37% |
| Count | 804 | 1,084 | 34.83% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.3 | 0.37 | 23.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rus
In terms of ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that those with the surname Rus predominantly identify as White, increasing slightly from 92.29% in 2000 to 94.65% in 2010. A small percentage (3.23% in 2000 and 2.86% in 2010) identify as Hispanic. Notably, there was a significant drop in the percentage of individuals identifying with two or more races, from 1.99% in 2000 to just 0.74% in 2010. Meanwhile, the number of individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity rose, albeit from a low base. The census recorded no individuals with this surname identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.29% | 94.65% | 2.56% |
| Hispanic | 3.23% | 2.86% | -11.46% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.2% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.99% | 0.74% | -62.81% |
| Black | 1.37% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |