Find out how popular the last name Reiber is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Reiber.

Reiber, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Reiber surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reiber in America

Reiber is the 16944th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reiber surname appeared 1,678 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Reiber.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reiber to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Reiber

The surname Reiber has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from a place called Reiber or Reiberen, which likely referred to a settlement or region known for its reeds or rushes, as the German word "Rieb" or "Ried" translates to these aquatic plants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the records of Worms, Germany, where a certain Cunradus Reiber is mentioned in 1292. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late medieval period.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various records across German-speaking regions, with variations in spelling such as Reiber, Reyber, and Reieber. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and phonetic changes over time.

During the 16th century, the surname Reiber gained prominence with notable individuals like Hans Reiber (1495-1567), a German clergyman and theologian who served as a pastor in Nuremberg.

By the 17th century, the name had spread beyond Germany, with records indicating Reiber families in Switzerland and Austria. One noteworthy figure was Johann Reiber (1630-1702), a Swiss physician and botanist renowned for his contributions to the study of alpine flora.

In the 18th century, Johann Adam Reiber (1720-1787) was a German composer and organist who served at the court of Mannheim. His works were influential in the development of the early Classical style.

As the 19th century dawned, the name continued to appear across various professions and regions. August Reiber (1824-1892) was a German architect known for his work on several prominent buildings in Munich.

Another notable figure was Wilhelm Reiber (1856-1937), a German politician and member of the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire, representing the Social Democratic Party.

While the name Reiber has its roots in Germany, it has since spread globally, with many individuals bearing this surname making significant contributions across various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reiber

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Reiber.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Reiber was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Reiber has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Reiber was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Reiber, please contact us.

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