2000
#8,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,654
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Rehm
A German occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a herdsman or keeper of roe deer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,026 Americans carry the last name Rehm. That puts it at #8,943 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,135 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rehm 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
4.0K
1 in 85,135
Census rank
#8,943
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,511 bearers of the surname Rehm in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8943rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehm, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rehm
The surname "REHM" has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "reim," which means "rhyme" or "verse." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in poetry, music, or other artistic pursuits that involved rhyming or versifying.
In the early days, the name "REHM" was primarily concentrated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is possible that the name was originally a descriptive surname, given to individuals who were skilled in composing rhymes or verses.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "REHM" can be found in the Weingartner Liederhandschrift, a 13th-century manuscript containing a collection of Middle High German lyric poetry. The manuscript includes the name "Rehm" as the author of several verses.
In the 14th century, the name "REHM" appeared in the records of the city of Augsburg, where a certain Johannes Rehm was mentioned as a citizen in 1342. This indicates that the name had already established itself in urban areas by that time.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the name "REHM" was Johann Rehm (1491-1563), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg. He is known for his contributions to the development of polyphonic music and is considered one of the most prominent composers of his time.
Another significant bearer of the name was Johann Philipp Rehm (1760-1837), a German theologian and philosopher from Württemberg. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant church and wrote extensively on theological and philosophical topics.
In the 19th century, a notable person with the surname "REHM" was Rudolf Rehm (1841-1904), a German classical philologist and archaeologist. He made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Roman literature and culture.
The name "REHM" can also be found in various places and locations throughout Germany. For example, there is a town called Rehm in the district of Aichach-Friedberg in Bavaria, which may have derived its name from the surname or vice versa.
As the name spread across Germany and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Rem," "Rehme," and "Reim." However, the core form of "REHM" remained the most prevalent and recognized spelling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rehm
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehm, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rehm 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 Rehm surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 3,235
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 124
- Two or more races2.6% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 34
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rehm
Rehm 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
#8,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,637
-17 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 659 places
2020
#8,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,511
-126 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,334 | 3,654 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,993 | 3,637 | 1.23 | -17 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 659 places |
| 2020 | #8,943 | 3,511 | 1.17 | -126 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 50 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 Rehm 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 | #8,993 | #8,943 | 0.6% |
| Count | 3,637 | 3,511 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.17 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rehm bearers went from 3,637 to 3,511 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,993 to #8,943.
FAQ
Rehm surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rehm?
Name Census estimates that about 4,026 living Americans carry the surname Rehm. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,135 residents.
How common is Rehm?
Rehm ranks #8,943 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 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 3,511 people with the surname Rehm. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,026), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 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 Rehm.
Has Rehm become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rehm went from 3,637 recorded bearers to 3,511. That is a decrease of 126 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,993 to #8,943.
What does the Census say about the background of Rehm?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehm, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Rehm in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (3,235 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rehm appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Rehm (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 Rehm mean?
A German occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a herdsman or keeper of roe deer. 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 Rehm (1.17 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 Rehm?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.