NameCensus.

UK surname

Rust

An English occupational surname referring to someone who gathered or sold a reddish-brown iron oxide.

In the 1881 census there were 1,578 people recorded with the Rust surname, ranking it #2,685 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,079, ranked #3,111, down from #2,685 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Weathersfield and Aberdeen and Old Machar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Mid Suffolk and Central Bedfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rust is 2,297 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.7%.

1881 census count

1,578

Ranked #2,685

Modern count

2,079

2016, ranked #3,111

Peak year

2000

2,297 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rust had 1,578 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,685 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,079 in 2016, ranked #3,111.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,024 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rust surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rust surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rust 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 1,159 #2,431
1861 historical 1,027 #2,728
1881 historical 1,578 #2,685
1891 historical 1,715 #2,642
1901 historical 2,024 #2,644
1911 historical 2,010 #2,476
1997 modern 2,173 #2,847
1998 modern 2,255 #2,857
1999 modern 2,283 #2,848
2000 modern 2,297 #2,811
2001 modern 2,233 #2,827
2002 modern 2,221 #2,896
2003 modern 2,197 #2,864
2004 modern 2,215 #2,851
2005 modern 2,161 #2,877
2006 modern 2,136 #2,906
2007 modern 2,152 #2,909
2008 modern 2,141 #2,955
2009 modern 2,213 #2,935
2010 modern 2,261 #2,935
2011 modern 2,206 #2,966
2012 modern 2,088 #3,068
2013 modern 2,126 #3,066
2014 modern 2,134 #3,075
2015 modern 2,101 #3,090
2016 modern 2,079 #3,111

Geography

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Where Rusts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Weathersfield, Aberdeen and Old Machar and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Mid Suffolk, Central Bedfordshire, Broadland and Fenland. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Weathersfield Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Mid Suffolk 002 Mid Suffolk
3 Central Bedfordshire 007 Central Bedfordshire
4 Broadland 003 Broadland
5 Fenland 007 Fenland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rust

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rust

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rust, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Rust surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rust household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rust is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rust is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rust falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rust is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rust

The surname Rust is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "rust," which referred to the reddish-brown oxide that forms on iron or steel when exposed to moisture and air. The name likely arose as a descriptive surname, given to someone with rust-colored hair or complexion.

In its earliest recorded forms, the surname appeared as "le Rust" or "le Ruste" in the 13th century. These early spellings indicate that the name was initially preceded by the Norman-French definite article "le," a common practice for descriptive surnames of that era.

The Rust surname is found in various historical records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a Walter le Rust in Oxfordshire. Another early reference is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, mentioning a John le Rust.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rust surname is Robert le Rust, who is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292. In the 14th century, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, with a Thomas Rust recorded in 1327.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the Rust surname include Sir Benjamin Rust (1642-1713), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Rye. John Rust (1701-1749) was a renowned English clergyman and theologian, best known for his work "A Discourse on Truth."

In the 18th century, Edward Rust (1757-1833) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench in Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada). Another notable figure was Thomas Cyprian Rust (1805-1887), an English Anglican clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theology and church history.

Moving into the 19th century, George Rust (1828-1897) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Geographical Society's former headquarters.

Throughout its history, the Rust surname has been associated with various place names, such as Rust in Hampshire, England, and Rust in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, which may have influenced the name's origins or contributed to its spread across regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rust families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rust 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. Middlesex leads with 266 Rusts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.73x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 266 1.73x
Essex 199 6.54x
Norfolk 173 7.30x
Bedfordshire 115 14.41x
Surrey 103 1.37x
Aberdeenshire 100 7.01x
Yorkshire 88 0.58x
Cambridgeshire 79 8.09x
Suffolk 61 3.25x
Kent 46 0.87x
Gloucestershire 43 1.42x
Durham 33 0.72x
Cheshire 22 0.65x
Leicestershire 22 1.29x
Berkshire 21 1.82x
Sussex 20 0.77x
Lancashire 19 0.10x
Warwickshire 14 0.36x
Devon 13 0.41x
Nottinghamshire 13 0.63x
Angus 12 0.84x
Hertfordshire 11 1.04x
Staffordshire 10 0.19x
Hampshire 9 0.28x
Lincolnshire 9 0.37x
Kincardineshire 8 4.26x
Northamptonshire 8 0.55x
Clackmannanshire 6 4.71x
Morayshire 6 2.51x
Wiltshire 6 0.44x
Cornwall 5 0.29x
Berwickshire 4 2.14x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 1.79x
Oxfordshire 4 0.42x
Worcestershire 4 0.20x
Banffshire 3 0.94x
Derbyshire 3 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.98x
Northumberland 3 0.13x
Orkney 3 1.77x
Cumberland 2 0.15x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.48x
Lanarkshire 2 0.04x
Channel Islands 1 0.22x
Shropshire 1 0.08x
Somerset 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wethersfield in Essex leads with 42 Rusts recorded in 1881 and an index of 547.59x.

Place Total Index
Wethersfield 42 547.59x
Islington London 31 2.08x
Lambeth 26 1.93x
Bedford St Mary 23 111.92x
Hackney London 22 2.55x
Saffron Walden 22 68.43x
Mile End Old Town 21 8.63x
Marston Moretaine 20 321.54x
Tanfield 19 34.84x
Bethnal Green London 18 2.69x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 18 25.30x
Shillington 18 153.19x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 17 6.37x
Newington 17 2.99x
St Luke London 17 6.88x
Aberdeen Old Machar 16 5.37x
Cromer 16 189.80x
Fulham London 16 7.16x
Holy Trinity 16 4.36x
Braintree 15 54.90x
Limehouse London 15 8.87x
Shoreditch London 15 2.25x
Pebmarsh 14 512.82x
Wattisfield 14 551.18x
Acton 13 14.39x
Bedford St Paul 13 23.75x
Felmersham 13 501.93x
Heigham 13 10.22x
Norwich St Benedict 13 123.11x
Peterculter 13 129.10x
St Pancras London 13 1.05x
Soham 12 57.12x
Stalham 12 264.90x
Camberwell 11 1.12x
Upton St Leonards 11 143.23x
Birmingham 10 0.77x
Cranfield 10 130.38x
East Harling 10 177.94x
Edmonton 10 8.05x
Isleham 10 111.61x
Newhills 10 34.21x
Walsham Le Willows 10 159.49x
Dalton In Huddersfield 9 26.31x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 9 21.14x
Holmside 9 79.65x
Lowestoft 9 10.15x
Rayne 9 132.74x
Rochester St Margaret 9 16.23x
Sale 9 21.56x
Witham 9 57.43x
Battersea 8 1.41x
Chapel Of Garioch 8 78.74x
Gloucester St John Baptist 8 40.98x
Gorton 8 4.65x
Inverkeillor 8 90.40x
Littleworth 8 272.11x
Northampton Priory St 8 9.20x
St George Hanover 8 3.98x
Whittlesey St Mary St 8 23.46x
Wimbish 8 178.17x
Aveley 7 136.45x
Bristol St James St Paul 7 6.95x
Clavering 7 127.04x
Debden 7 162.41x
East Grinstead 7 19.03x
Great Bookham 7 121.32x
Handsworth 7 5.46x
Heeley 7 15.08x
Hendon 7 12.62x
Hilgay 7 78.56x
Lakenham 7 20.79x
Leicester St Margaret 7 1.68x
Middlesbrough 7 3.52x
Middleton 7 150.86x
Newington 7 16.64x
North Wootton 7 409.36x
Sculcoates 7 2.89x
Walmer 7 30.62x
Windlesham 7 49.58x
Good Easter 6 218.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 73
Elizabeth 55
Sarah 49
Emma 29
Eliza 28
Alice 26
Ellen 20
Emily 20
Jane 20
Ann 17
Annie 16
Hannah 15
Harriet 14
Martha 13
Charlotte 12
Agnes 10
Esther 10
Louisa 10
Florence 9
Kate 9
Margaret 9
Fanny 8
Nellie 8
Ada 7
Catherine 7
Sophia 7
Anna 6
Caroline 6
Ethel 6
Maria 6
Rose 6
Frances 5
Gertrude 5
Matilda 5
Anne 4
Jemima 4
Lucy 4
Lydia 4
Maud 4
Rebecca 4
Ruth 4
Susannah 4
Amelia 3
Amy 3
Bertha 3
Elizth. 3
Julia 3
Laura 3
Rhoda 3
Rosa 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 83
John 66
George 46
Charles 41
Frederick 32
Henry 32
James 31
Thomas 31
Joseph 29
Alfred 23
Robert 23
Albert 16
Arthur 15
Edward 13
Richard 12
Walter 12
Daniel 7
Herbert 7
Ernest 6
Francis 6
Harry 6
Isaac 6
Samuel 6
Chas. 5
David 5
Frank 5
Philip 5
Sydney 5
Benjamin 4
Edwin 4
Fredrick 4
Edgar 3
Fred 3
Percy 3
Willm. 3
Agustus 2
Archibald 2
Cyprian 2
Dan 2
Edwd. 2
Frederic 2
Gilbert 2
H. 2
Harold 2
Josiah 2
Louis 2
Mark 2
Martin 2
Richd. 2
Zebedee 2

FAQ

Rust surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rust surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,578 people were recorded with the Rust surname. That placed it at #2,685 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rust surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,079 in 2016. That gives Rust a modern rank of #3,111.

What does the Rust surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who gathered or sold a reddish-brown iron oxide.

What does the Rust map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rust 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.