2000
#15,099
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,792
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Rumley
A locational surname originating from a place called Rumley in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,032 Americans carry the last name Rumley. That puts it at #15,824 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 168,678 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rumley 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 Rumley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 168,678
Census rank
#15,824
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,772 bearers of the surname Rumley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15824th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rumley, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rumley
The surname Rumley is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Romeley or Rumley, located in the county of Shropshire. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "rum," meaning spacious or roomy, and "leah," meaning a woodland clearing or meadow.
One of the earliest known records of the surname Rumley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from the year 1180, where a William de Rumelie is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region during that time period.
The Rumley surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landholders in England. This document mentions a Robert de Romelee from Worcestershire, indicating the name's presence in neighboring counties as well.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Romelay, Romeley, and Rumley, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. One notable figure from this time was John Rumley, a landowner from Staffordshire, who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332.
During the 16th century, the surname gained prominence with the rise of Thomas Rumley (c. 1500-1567), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament. He served as the recorder of Gloucester and was known for his legal expertise.
Another notable bearer of the Rumley name was Robert Rumley (1592-1658), an English clergyman and author. He served as the rector of Woodham Walter in Essex and wrote several religious works, including "The Practice of Piety" and "The Heavenly Conversation."
In the 18th century, John Rumley (1721-1794) was a respected English engraver and artist. He is known for his intricate copper engravings and illustrations, many of which depicted scenes from classical literature and mythology.
Moving into the 19th century, Sir Samuel Wilkinson Rumley (1826-1909) was a prominent English industrialist and engineer. He founded the Rumley Engineering Company, which specialized in the production of agricultural machinery and played a significant role in the development of modern farming equipment.
Throughout its history, the Rumley surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire, where its earliest roots can be traced.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rumley
Among Census respondents with the surname Rumley, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rumley 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 Rumley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.0% · 1,399
- Black or African American13.0% · 231
- Two or more races3.9% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rumley
Rumley 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
#15,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,855
+63 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 620 places
2020
#15,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,772
-83 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Down 105 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,099 | 1,792 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,719 | 1,855 | 0.63 | +63 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 620 places |
| 2020 | #15,824 | 1,772 | 0.59 | -83 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 105 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 Rumley 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 | #15,719 | #15,824 | -0.7% |
| Count | 1,855 | 1,772 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.59 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rumley bearers went from 1,855 to 1,772 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 105 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,719 to #15,824.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rumley
FAQ
Rumley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rumley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,032 living Americans carry the surname Rumley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 168,678 residents.
How common is Rumley?
Rumley ranks #15,824 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,772 people with the surname Rumley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,032), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rumley.
Has Rumley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rumley went from 1,855 recorded bearers to 1,772. That is a decrease of 83 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,719 to #15,824.
What does the Census say about the background of Rumley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rumley, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Rumley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.0% (1,399 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rumley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.0%), Black (13.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Rumley (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 Rumley mean?
A locational surname originating from a place called Rumley in England. 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 Rumley (0.59 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 people have the surname Rumley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.