2000
#113,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Radlein
A German surname from Middle High German referring to a small wheel or radian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 165 Americans carry the last name Radlein. That puts it at #125,089 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,077,299 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Radlein 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
165
1 in 2,077,299
Census rank
#125,089
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
144
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 144 bearers of the surname Radlein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 125089th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Radlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.2%. The next largest groups are Black (29.2%) and Hispanic (11.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Radlein
The surname RADLEIN originated in Germany and can be traced back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "rad" meaning "wheel" or "circle," and the suffix "-lein" which is a diminutive form, suggesting a small or little wheel. This could indicate that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a mill or worked with wheels or carts.
One of the earliest known references to the name RADLEIN is found in a document from the town of Nuremberg, dated 1492, which mentions a blacksmith named Hans Radlein. It is possible that the name was associated with metalworking or other crafts involving wheels or circular objects.
In the 16th century, the RADLEIN surname appeared in various records across southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One notable individual from this period was Jakob Radlein (1526-1591), a Protestant theologian and author who served as a minister in Nuremberg.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the RADLEIN name spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. In 1672, a Johann Radlein was recorded as a resident of the town of Biberach in modern-day Baden-Württemberg. Another prominent figure was Karl Radlein (1705-1779), a composer and organist who worked in the city of Dresden.
As the RADLEIN name continued to spread, it also underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Radlen, Radlin, and Rädlein. One notable individual from the 19th century was the German painter Johann Baptist Radlein (1812-1887), who was known for his landscape and genre scenes.
Other individuals with the RADLEIN surname include the German-American author and journalist Karl Radlein (1875-1942), who wrote for various newspapers in the United States, and the Austrian politician and lawyer Rudolf Radlein (1888-1975), who served as a member of the National Council of Austria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Radlein
Among Census respondents with the surname Radlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.2%. The next largest groups are Black (29.2%) and Hispanic (11.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Radlein 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 Radlein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.2% · 68
- Black or African American29.2% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino11.8% · 17
- Two or more races9.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Radlein
Radlein 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
-4 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 10,277 places
2020
#125,089
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
+5 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 1,293 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #113,519 | 143 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | -4 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 10,277 places |
| 2020 | #125,089 | 144 | 0.05 | +5 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 1,293 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 Radlein 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 | #123,796 | #125,089 | -1.0% |
| Count | 139 | 144 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Radlein bearers went from 139 to 144 (+3.6% change). The surname moved down 1,293 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #125,089.
FAQ
Radlein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Radlein?
Name Census estimates that about 165 living Americans carry the surname Radlein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,077,299 residents.
How common is Radlein?
Radlein ranks #125,089 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 144 people with the surname Radlein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (165), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Radlein.
Has Radlein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Radlein went from 139 recorded bearers to 144. That is an increase of 5 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #125,089.
What does the Census say about the background of Radlein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Radlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.2%. The next largest groups are Black (29.2%) and Hispanic (11.8%). 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 Radlein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.2% (68 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Radlein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.2%), Black (29.2%), Hispanic (11.8%). 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 Radlein (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 Radlein mean?
A German surname from Middle High German referring to a small wheel or radian. 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 Radlein (0.05 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 are called Radlein?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Radlein on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.