Remsen
A masculine name of Dutch origin referring to a place.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Remsen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Remsen today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Remsen births was 2015 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Remsen. 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 Remsen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2015
6 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#11,788
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Remsen: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Remsen 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 Remsen 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 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Remsen
The given name Remsen has its origins in the Dutch language, and its etymology can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have derived from the Old Dutch word "rein," meaning "pure" or "clean," combined with the suffix "-sen," which was commonly used to form diminutive or affectionate forms of names.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Remsen can be found in historical documents from the Netherlands, particularly in the region of Friesland, where it was used as a baptismal name during the 15th and 16th centuries. The name's popularity in this region may have been influenced by the presence of the Remsen family, a prominent noble family in the area at the time.
While the name Remsen does not appear to have any direct connections to ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest known figures with this name was Remsen Jansen van der Beeck (1610-1678), a Dutch settler who was among the first European colonists in what is now Brooklyn, New York.
Another prominent individual with the name Remsen was Henry Remsen Jr. (1737-1827), an American politician and jurist who served as the first Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Judicature of the Province of New Jersey. He played a significant role in the early legal system of the United States.
In the 19th century, Remsen Beekman Remsen (1807-1889) was a prominent American businessman and philanthropist from New York. He was involved in various charitable organizations and helped establish several educational institutions, including Remsen Hall at the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute.
Ira Remsen (1846-1927) was an influential American chemist and educator who made significant contributions to the field of chemistry. He served as the president of Johns Hopkins University and was instrumental in establishing the university's reputation as a leading research institution.
Henry Rutgers Remsen (1865-1948) was an American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Astor Court Building and the Woolworth Building. His architectural works were heavily influenced by the Beaux-Arts style.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the given name Remsen throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence across various fields and regions.
People
Remsen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Remsen 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
Remsen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Remsen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Remsen 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Remsen a common name?
We classify Remsen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Remsen most popular?
The single biggest year for Remsen was 2015, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Remsen is about 11 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 Remsen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Remsen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Remsen 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 Remsen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Remsen 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 Remsen 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 share the name Remsen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.