Explore the Family Name Rust
The meaning of Rust
1. Swiss German (also Rüst): topographic name for someone who lived by a prominent elm tree, Rust (Old High German ruost), or in northern Germany for someone who lived by a resting place or halt along a route, from Middle Low German ruste ‘rest’. 2. German: habitational name from a place called Ruest in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. 3. German: from the rare personal name Rusto (from Old High German (h)rustan ‘prepare, get ready (for military action)’. 4. English, Scottish, and German: nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion, from Old English rūst, Middle Low German rust ‘rust’ (from an ancient Germanic root meaning ‘red’). The term was also used figuratively for moral or spiritual corrosion, in which sense it may also have been applied as a nickname. 5. English and Scottish: sometimes from a shortened form of Russett.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rust in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname 'Rust' has seen a slight shift in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Rust ranked 2,795th and rose to 2,967th in 2010, reflecting a decrease in rank by 6.15%. The actual count of individuals with this surname, however, increased from 11,816 in 2000 to 12,086 in 2010, an increase of 2.29%. The proportion of people named Rust per 100,000 also decreased slightly from 4.38 in 2000 to 4.1 in 2010, a change of -6.39%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,795 | #2,967 | -6.15% |
| Count | 11,816 | 12,086 | 2.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.38 | 4.1 | -6.39% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rust
The ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Rust' also saw changes between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. While those identifying as White remained the majority, their proportion decreased slightly from 94.99% in 2000 to 93.79% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of Asians/Pacific Islanders increased from 0.47% to 0.71%, and those claiming Hispanic ethnicity rose from 1.38% to 2.12%. The proportion of those identifying as two or more races also grew from 1.39% to 1.63%. However, the percentage of Black individuals with the surname 'Rust' decreased slightly from 1.23% to 1.16%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category showed a minor increase from 0.55% to 0.59%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.99% | 93.79% | -1.26% |
| Hispanic | 1.38% | 2.12% | 53.62% |
| Two or More Races | 1.39% | 1.63% | 17.27% |
| Black | 1.23% | 1.16% | -5.69% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.71% | 51.06% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.55% | 0.59% | 7.27% |
Rust 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 Rust 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 (28.6%) and Scandinavian (5.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.1% |
| French & German | 28.6% |
| Scandinavian | 5.3% |
| Other | 15.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Rust
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 Rust have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
What Rust 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 Rust is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and I-Y6900, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Foss, Carver, Hudson, Langley, Kuhn, Hoyle, Cash, Stump, Deal, Tracy.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Rust surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Rust 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.
"Rust" Surname 40.4%
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.
"Rust" Surname 28.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Rust" Surname 21.8%
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.
"Rust" Surname 18.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Rust?
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 Rust are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition