2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rappenecker
A surname derived from a location or geographical feature, potentially referring to a ridge or cliff area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Rappenecker. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rappenecker 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Rappenecker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rappenecker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rappenecker
The surname Rappenecker is believed to have originated in Germany during the late medieval period. It is derived from the German words "Rapp" and "Eck", which together mean "corner of the field". This suggests that the name may have been originally borne by someone who lived or worked near a prominent corner of a field or farmland.
The earliest known records of the name Rappenecker can be traced back to the 15th century in various regions of southern Germany, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. These regions were known for their rich agricultural traditions, lending credence to the name's rural origins.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Hans Rappenecker, a farmer who lived in the village of Neubulach, in what is now the state of Baden-Württemberg, in the late 15th century. His name appears in local church records from that time.
In the 16th century, the name Rappenecker began to spread beyond its initial localized areas, appearing in records from other parts of Germany. This was likely due to migration and the movement of people during that period.
Notable individuals with the surname Rappenecker include Johann Rappenecker, a master craftsman and woodcarver who lived in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, in the early 17th century. His intricate woodcarvings can still be seen in the town's historic churches and buildings.
Another notable figure was Magdalena Rappenecker, a midwife who practiced in the city of Ulm, in what is now Baden-Württemberg, in the mid-18th century. She was renowned for her expertise and compassion, and her name appears in numerous birth records from that time.
In the 19th century, the Rappenecker surname began to spread beyond Germany, with individuals bearing the name emigrating to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. One such individual was Friedrich Rappenecker, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania, United States, in the 1850s and became a successful farmer.
While the surname Rappenecker is not among the most common in the world, it has left its mark on history, particularly in its regions of origin in southern Germany. The name's humble agricultural roots have evolved over the centuries, reflecting the diverse experiences and accomplishments of those who have carried it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rappenecker
Among Census respondents with the surname Rappenecker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rappenecker 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 Rappenecker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 101
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rappenecker
Rappenecker 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,228 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,598 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 18,228 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Up 6,598 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 Rappenecker 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 | #156,044 | #149,446 | 4.2% |
| Count | 104 | 110 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rappenecker bearers went from 104 to 110 (+5.8% change). The surname moved up 6,598 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #149,446.
FAQ
Rappenecker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rappenecker?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Rappenecker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Rappenecker?
Rappenecker ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Rappenecker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Rappenecker.
Has Rappenecker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rappenecker went from 104 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 6 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Rappenecker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rappenecker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Rappenecker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rappenecker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Rappenecker (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 Rappenecker mean?
A surname derived from a location or geographical feature, potentially referring to a ridge or cliff area. 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 Rappenecker (0.04 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 share the surname Rappenecker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.