2000
#5,471
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,843
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.17
Rare Last name
Rule
An English occupational surname referring to a ruler or measurer, or one who ruled paper for bookbinding.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,742 Americans carry the last name Rule. That puts it at #5,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,839 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rule surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rule with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.7K
1 in 50,839
Census rank
#5,686
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,879 bearers of the surname Rule in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rule, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rule
The surname RULE is of English origin, with records indicating it first emerged in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "riole" or the Anglo-Norman French word "reule," both of which refer to a ruler or a person who governs.
The earliest known record of the surname RULE can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it is listed as "le Ruele." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who was a ruler or a person in a position of authority.
In the 14th century, the surname RULE appeared in various records across England, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it was spelled as "Rughyll." This variation hints at the name's potential connection to the Old English word "rih," meaning a ridge or a hill, possibly indicating that some bearers of the name lived near such geographic features.
The RULE surname was also present in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. While the exact spelling and occurrence are not specified, this suggests that the name had established roots in England by the 11th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname RULE. One example is John Rule (c. 1485-1544), an English prelate who served as the Bishop of Galloway in Scotland. Another is William Rule (1768-1849), a Scottish Baptist minister and author who wrote extensively on religious topics.
In the realm of literature, the surname RULE is associated with Gilbert Rule (1629-1701), an English playwright and writer known for his work "The Westminster-Scholars: A Comedy." Additionally, the name is linked to James Rule (1809-1890), a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as the 13th Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee.
One particularly noteworthy figure was Margery Rule (c. 1565-1650), an English woman who was accused of witchcraft during the infamous Pendle Witch Trials in Lancashire. Her case garnered significant attention and highlighted the persecution of individuals accused of practicing witchcraft during that period.
While the surname RULE has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and beyond, carried by individuals and families who immigrated from their homeland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rule
Among Census respondents with the surname Rule, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rule bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rule surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 4,824
- Black or African American9.1% · 533
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 214
- Two or more races3.5% · 205
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rule
Rule appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,236
+393 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Down 102 places
2020
#5,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,879
-357 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.97
Rank movement Down 113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,471 | 5,843 | 2.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,573 | 6,236 | 2.11 | +393 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 102 places |
| 2020 | #5,686 | 5,879 | 1.97 | -357 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 113 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rule surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,573 | #5,686 | -2.0% |
| Count | 6,236 | 5,879 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.11 | 1.97 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rule bearers went from 6,236 to 5,879 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 113 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,573 to #5,686.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rule
FAQ
Rule surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rule?
Name Census estimates that about 6,742 living Americans carry the surname Rule. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,839 residents.
How common is Rule?
Rule ranks #5,686 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,879 people with the surname Rule. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,742), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Rule.
Has Rule become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rule went from 6,236 recorded bearers to 5,879. That is a decrease of 357 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,573 to #5,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Rule?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rule, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rule in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (4,824 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rule appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Black (9.1%), Hispanic (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rule (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rule mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a ruler or measurer, or one who ruled paper for bookbinding. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rule (1.97 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Rule?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.