Explore the Family Name Ruther
The meaning of Ruther
1. German (also Rüther): habitational name for someone from Rüth or Rüthen in Westphalia. 2. German (Rüther): variant of Reuter 1 or, in some cases, a cognate of Dutch Ruiter. Compare Ruether. 3. Dutch: variant of Rutter 3. 4. English and Welsh (Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire): perhaps from an Anglicized form of the Welsh personal names Rhodri and Rhydderch (see Roderick and compare Rothery), with possible influence from the English river name Rother (Sussex, Hampshire, and Yorkshire).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ruther in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Ruther has seen a decrease in popularity over a decade. In 2000, Ruther was ranked 29,662 in terms of prevalence, but by 2010 it had dropped to 37,955 - a significant decline of nearly 28%. The count of individuals bearing this surname also fell from 749 in 2000 to 585 in 2010, marking a reduction of about 22%. Similarly, the proportion of people named Ruther per 100k people declined by roughly 29% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #29,662 | #37,955 | -27.96% |
| Count | 749 | 585 | -21.9% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.28 | 0.2 | -28.57% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ruther
In terms of ethnicity, the Census data reveals some notable shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the percentage of Ruthers identifying as White remained highest, there was a slight decrease from nearly 92% to approximately 89.57%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population with this surname almost doubled, rising from 2.4% to 4.62%. The number of individuals identifying as two or more ethnicities also increased by 50%, while the Black population saw a reduction of nearly 20%. There were no changes observed for Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, which remained at zero throughout the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.99% | 89.57% | -2.63% |
| Hispanic | 2.4% | 4.62% | 92.5% |
| Black | 4.27% | 3.42% | -19.91% |
| Two or More Races | 0.8% | 1.2% | 50% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |