2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rehnelt
An occupational surname derived from a German word meaning "reed worker" or someone involved in harvesting reeds.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Rehnelt. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rehnelt 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Rehnelt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehnelt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rehnelt
The surname Rehnelt is of German origin, originating in the northern regions of the country during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Low German word "ren," which means "border" or "boundary," and the suffix "-elt," indicating a smaller or diminutive form. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone living near a border or boundary area.
Early records of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries. For instance, the name appears in the Bürgerbuch der Stadt Trier (Citizen Book of the City of Trier) from 1384, where a certain Johannes Rehnelt is mentioned as a resident of the city.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Hans Rehnelt, a merchant from Lübeck who lived in the mid-15th century. His name is mentioned in several trade records from that time, indicating his involvement in the Hanseatic League's commercial activities.
In the 16th century, the name appears in connection with the Protestant Reformation. Johann Rehnelt (1495-1561) was a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony, known for his work in promoting the teachings of Martin Luther.
During the 17th century, a notable figure was Peter Rehnelt (1620-1688), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Württemberg. His compositions for organ and church music were highly regarded during his time.
Another individual of note was Johann Friedrich Rehnelt (1768-1834), a German lawyer and politician who played a role in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. He served as a member of the Prussian National Assembly and was involved in drafting new constitutional laws.
In the 19th century, Carl Rehnelt (1835-1901) was a prominent German architect known for his work in designing several churches and public buildings in Berlin and other cities across Germany.
While the surname Rehnelt is not among the most common in Germany, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and is associated with various notable figures from different fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rehnelt
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehnelt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Rehnelt 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 Rehnelt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 110
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rehnelt
Rehnelt appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+14 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 12,119 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 Rehnelt 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 | #154,907 | #142,788 | 7.8% |
| Count | 105 | 119 | 13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rehnelt bearers went from 105 to 119 (+13.3% change). The surname moved up 12,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #142,788.
FAQ
Rehnelt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rehnelt?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Rehnelt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Rehnelt?
Rehnelt ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Rehnelt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Rehnelt.
Has Rehnelt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rehnelt went from 105 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 14 (+13.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Rehnelt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehnelt, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Rehnelt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rehnelt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Rehnelt (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 Rehnelt mean?
An occupational surname derived from a German word meaning "reed worker" or someone involved in harvesting reeds. 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 Rehnelt (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 Rehnelt?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.