NameCensus.

UK surname

Rusk

An English occupational surname for someone who made or sold a type of hard, dry biscuit or bread.

In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Rusk surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 276, ranked #15,673, up from #18,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Old Luce and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Epsom and Ewell, Whitlawburn and Greenlees and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rusk is 327 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 144.2%.

1881 census count

113

Ranked #18,412

Modern count

276

2016, ranked #15,673

Peak year

1999

327 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rusk had 113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016, ranked #15,673.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 157 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Rusk surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rusk surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rusk surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rusk over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 101 #17,036
1861 historical 125 #17,678
1881 historical 113 #18,412
1891 historical 157 #17,778
1901 historical 108 #21,836
1911 historical 77 #25,106
1997 modern 294 #13,707
1998 modern 310 #13,578
1999 modern 327 #13,209
2000 modern 322 #13,307
2001 modern 289 #14,069
2002 modern 293 #14,203
2003 modern 279 #14,506
2004 modern 270 #14,913
2005 modern 266 #15,007
2006 modern 265 #15,126
2007 modern 270 #15,080
2008 modern 281 #14,782
2009 modern 284 #14,986
2010 modern 288 #15,162
2011 modern 300 #14,591
2012 modern 286 #15,012
2013 modern 285 #15,313
2014 modern 282 #15,537
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 276 #15,673

Geography

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Where Rusks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Old Luce, Liverpool, Walton-on-the-Hill and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Epsom and Ewell, Whitlawburn and Greenlees, East Cambridgeshire, Darlington and Firhill. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
2 Old Luce Wigtown
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Epsom and Ewell 008 Epsom and Ewell
2 Whitlawburn and Greenlees South Lanarkshire
3 East Cambridgeshire 009 East Cambridgeshire
4 Darlington 004 Darlington
5 Firhill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rusk

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rusk surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rusk

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rusk, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Rusk surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Rusk household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Rusk is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rusk is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rusk falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rusk is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rusk, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rusk

The surname Rusk is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "rysc" or "risce," which means "rush" or "reed." The name likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a reed bed or marsh.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 mention a William Risck, while the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275 include a John Rusch.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Russche, Russhe, and Ruske, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 list a Willelmus Russche.

The Rusk surname may also be derived from place names like Rusholme in Lancashire, which was recorded as "Ruscheholme" in the 13th century, or Rushmere in Suffolk, formerly known as "Ruschemere."

One notable historical figure bearing the name was John Rusk, a 16th-century English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1555 during the Marian Persecutions under Queen Mary I.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Rusk (1803-1857), an American politician and military officer who served as a United States Senator from Texas and as the Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas.

In the 19th century, Ralph Rusk (1816-1858) was a Scottish poet and publisher, known for his work "The Poets of Ayrshire."

The name Rusk also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Risca" in reference to a place in Monmouthshire, Wales.

Thomas Jefferson Rusk (1808-1857), a distant relative of Thomas Rusk, was a lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Texas and as the Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas, like his relative.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rusk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rusk surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Angus leads with 19 Rusks recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.61x.

County Total Index
Angus 19 18.61x
Lancashire 18 1.38x
Middlesex 15 1.36x
Ayrshire 11 13.33x
Surrey 10 1.86x
Wigtownshire 10 68.31x
Lanarkshire 9 2.52x
Cheshire 4 1.64x
Yorkshire 4 0.37x
Kent 3 0.80x
Durham 2 0.61x
Worcestershire 2 1.39x
Berkshire 1 1.21x
Dumfriesshire 1 4.11x
Essex 1 0.46x
Herefordshire 1 2.21x
Midlothian 1 0.68x
Warwickshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 15 Rusks recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.35x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 15 39.35x
Old Luce 10 1086.96x
Cambusnethan 9 113.64x
Lambeth 8 8.32x
Liverpool 7 8.81x
Tottenham 6 34.17x
Everton 5 11.99x
Newton On Ayr 5 202.43x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 13.99x
Ayr 4 102.83x
Dukinfield 4 35.59x
Leeds 4 6.49x
Willesden 4 38.50x
Halling 3 612.24x
Hammersmith London 3 11.05x
Lochee 3 329.67x
Kirkdale 2 9.09x
Newington 2 4.91x
Romsley 2 1250.00x
St Quivox 2 71.68x
Stoke Newington London 2 23.28x
Birmingham 1 1.08x
Bromyard 1 166.67x
Chelmsford 1 26.81x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.68x
Kirkconnell 1 256.41x
Liff Benvie 1 6.45x
Stockton On Tees 1 6.33x
Wantage 1 75.76x
Westoe 1 5.38x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rusk surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 5
Sarah 4
Dorothea 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Carlone 1
Ellera 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Katherine 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Margrt. 1
R. 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rusk surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 6
Henry 2
Thomas 2
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Horam 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
William 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Rusk households.

FAQ

Rusk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rusk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Rusk surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rusk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016. That gives Rusk a modern rank of #15,673.

What does the Rusk surname mean?

An English occupational surname for someone who made or sold a type of hard, dry biscuit or bread.

What does the Rusk map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rusk bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.