Explore the Family Name Rutgers

The meaning of Rutgers

Dutch: patronymic from the ancient Germanic personal name Rutger (see Roger).

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Rutgers has slightly increased over a decade. The rank improved from 66,073 in 2000 to 65,964 in 2010, indicating a marginal change of 0.16%. Moreover, the count of people bearing the surname Rutgers also saw an increase of 7.14%, from 280 in 2000 to 300 in 2010. However, its proportion per 100,000 population remained constant at 0.1.

20002010Change
Rank#66,073#65,9640.16%
Count2803007.14%
Proportion per 100k0.10.10%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rutgers

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Rutgers, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, is predominantly White. In 2000, 96.07% of individuals with this last name identified as White, though that figure slightly decreased to 95.33% in 2010. A small percentage (1.79%) identified as Black in 2000, but that number dropped to zero by 2010. Interestingly, the census data shows a new ethnicity emerging within the Rutgers surname community: those identifying as belonging to two or more races, which accounted for 2.67% in 2010. There were no recorded instances of the surname amongst the Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities during these years.

20002010Change
White96.07%95.33%-0.77%
Two or More Races0%2.67%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black1.79%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%