2000
#16,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,566
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Rehberg
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hillside or ridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,748 Americans carry the last name Rehberg. That puts it at #18,041 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 196,084 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rehberg 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
1.7K
1 in 196,084
Census rank
#18,041
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,524 bearers of the surname Rehberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18041st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rehberg
The surname Rehberg is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, which was heavily influenced by the Slavic language and culture at the time.
The name Rehberg is derived from the Old German word "reha," meaning a roe deer, and the word "berg," which translates to a mountain or hill. This combination suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who lived near a mountain or hill where roe deer were commonly found.
One of the earliest documented references to the Rehberg name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name is mentioned in connection with a landowner or nobleman from the region.
In the 14th century, a notable individual named Heinrich Rehberg was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Leipzig. His name appears in various records and documents from that time period, indicating the family's influence and status within the community.
During the 16th century, Johannes Rehberg (1539-1610) was a renowned Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg. He was known for his scholarly works and contributions to the Protestant Reformation.
In the 18th century, Carl Gottlieb Rehberg (1777-1857) was a German author and art critic who wrote extensively on the theory and history of art. His influential works helped shape the discourse surrounding aesthetics and art appreciation during that era.
Another notable figure bearing the Rehberg surname was August Wilhelm Rehberg (1757-1836), a German statesman and writer who served as a diplomat and advisor to various German princes and dukes. He played a significant role in the political affairs of his time.
Over the centuries, variations of the name Rehberg emerged, including Rehberger, Rehbergk, and Reberger, among others. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and linguistic shifts within the German-speaking regions.
While the Rehberg name has its origins in Saxony, it has since spread to other parts of Germany and beyond, with descendants of the family residing in various countries around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rehberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rehberg 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 Rehberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 1,388
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 67
- Two or more races2.7% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rehberg
Rehberg 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
#17,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,594
+28 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Down 842 places
2020
#18,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,524
-70 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 416 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,783 | 1,566 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,625 | 1,594 | 0.54 | +28 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 842 places |
| 2020 | #18,041 | 1,524 | 0.51 | -70 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 416 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 Rehberg 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 | #17,625 | #18,041 | -2.4% |
| Count | 1,594 | 1,524 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.51 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rehberg bearers went from 1,594 to 1,524 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 416 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,625 to #18,041.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rehberg
FAQ
Rehberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rehberg?
Name Census estimates that about 1,748 living Americans carry the surname Rehberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 196,084 residents.
How common is Rehberg?
Rehberg ranks #18,041 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,524 people with the surname Rehberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,748), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rehberg.
Has Rehberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rehberg went from 1,594 recorded bearers to 1,524. That is a decrease of 70 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,625 to #18,041.
What does the Census say about the background of Rehberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (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 Rehberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (1,388 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rehberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (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 Rehberg (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 Rehberg mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hillside or ridge. 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 Rehberg (0.51 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 common is the surname Rehberg?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Rehberg, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.