Reicher
A masculine given name of German origin meaning "wealthy" or "powerful".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Reicher. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Reicher today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reicher births was 2019 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reicher. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Reicher. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2019
6 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2019 SSA rank
#11,830
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Reicher: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Reicher by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Reicher during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Reicher
The given name Reicher has its origins in the German language, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old High German word "rihhi," which means "powerful" or "mighty." The name was likely bestowed upon individuals who were perceived as strong, influential, or wealthy within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reicher can be found in the 12th century, in the Codex Traditionum Ecclesiae Coenobii Sancti Stephani Bambergensis, a medieval cartulary from the Bamberg region of Germany. This document mentions a landowner named Reicher von Hohenlohe, who lived during the reign of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
During the Renaissance period, the name Reicher gained some prominence among the German nobility. One notable figure was Reicher von Reichenstein (c. 1460-1535), a German knight and landowner who served as a military commander during the Peasants' War of 1524-1525.
In the realm of literature, the name Reicher appears in the works of the German writer and philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803). In his collection of folk songs and poems, Volkslieder, Herder included a ballad titled "Das Lied vom Reicher," which tells the story of a brave warrior named Reicher who fought against invading forces.
Another historical figure bearing the name Reicher was Reicher von Pfalz (1694-1778), a German military officer and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of the Palatinate region during the mid-18th century. He played a significant role in the War of the Austrian Succession and was known for his diplomatic skills.
In the 19th century, the name Reicher gained some popularity among German intellectuals and artists. One notable example was Reicher Schmitt (1825-1892), a German painter and illustrator who was renowned for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting rural life.
While the given name Reicher has its roots in German culture and history, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with German immigrant communities or influences. However, its usage has been relatively limited compared to more common German names.
People
Reicher + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reicher as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Reicher: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reicher?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reicher going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Reicher a common name?
We classify Reicher as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reicher most popular?
The single biggest year for Reicher was 2019, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reicher is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Reicher in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Reicher a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reicher in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Reicher still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Reicher in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Reicher can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Reicher?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.