2000
#103,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 161
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Rabenhorst
A German surname derived from "Raben" (raven) and "Horst" (nest), likely metonymic for someone who lived near a raven's nest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 202 Americans carry the last name Rabenhorst. That puts it at #107,521 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,696,804 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rabenhorst 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.
Bearers in the US
202
1 in 1,696,804
Census rank
#107,521
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
176
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 176 bearers of the surname Rabenhorst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 107521st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rabenhorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rabenhorst
The surname RABENHORST is of German origin and can be traced back to the late 16th century in the regions of northern Germany. It is believed to be derived from the German words "raben," meaning raven, and "horst," meaning nest or a hawk's nest. This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a raven's nest or a place where ravens nested.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RABENHORST can be found in the church records of the town of Hannover, dating back to the late 1500s. These records mention a family by the name of RABENHORST residing in the area. It is possible that the name was initially associated with a specific location or geographical feature, such as a raven's nest on a hilltop or a particular area known for its raven population.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name RABENHORST appeared in various historical documents and records across northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In the 1700s, a notable individual named Johann Friedrich RABENHORST (1722-1798) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Hannover.
Another notable bearer of the name was Hermann RABENHORST (1806-1881), a German botanist and pharmacist who made significant contributions to the study of algae and fungi. He published several works on these subjects and is known for his extensive collections of dried plant specimens.
In the late 19th century, Otto RABENHORST (1853-1933) was a German journalist and writer who authored several books and articles on various topics, including literature, history, and travel. He was also involved in the publication of a popular German magazine called "Über Land und Meer" (Over Land and Sea).
The name RABENHORST also appeared in historical records from other parts of Europe, indicating that some families with this surname may have migrated or settled in different regions over time. For instance, in the early 20th century, a notable figure named Karl RABENHORST (1884-1958) was a German-born architect who worked in the Netherlands and designed several significant buildings in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
Throughout its history, the surname RABENHORST has been associated with various professions and fields, including trade, agriculture, science, literature, and architecture, highlighting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rabenhorst
Among Census respondents with the surname Rabenhorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rabenhorst 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 Rabenhorst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 166
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 5
- Two or more races2.8% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rabenhorst
Rabenhorst 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
#102,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176
+15 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 996 places
2020
#107,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 5,324 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #103,193 | 161 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #102,197 | 176 | 0.06 | +15 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 996 places |
| 2020 | #107,521 | 176 | 0.06 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 5,324 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 Rabenhorst 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 | #102,197 | #107,521 | -5.2% |
| Count | 176 | 176 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rabenhorst bearers went from 176 to 176 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 5,324 positions in the national ranking, going from #102,197 to #107,521.
FAQ
Rabenhorst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rabenhorst?
Name Census estimates that about 202 living Americans carry the surname Rabenhorst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,696,804 residents.
How common is Rabenhorst?
Rabenhorst ranks #107,521 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 176 people with the surname Rabenhorst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (202), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rabenhorst.
Has Rabenhorst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rabenhorst went from 176 recorded bearers to 176. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #102,197 to #107,521.
What does the Census say about the background of Rabenhorst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rabenhorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Rabenhorst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (166 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rabenhorst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Rabenhorst (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 Rabenhorst mean?
A German surname derived from "Raben" (raven) and "Horst" (nest), likely metonymic for someone who lived near a raven's nest. 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 Rabenhorst (0.06 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 Rabenhorst?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.