2000
#43,629
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 466
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Reichl
A German surname derived from the word "reich" meaning wealthy or prosperous.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 573 Americans carry the last name Reichl. That puts it at #45,998 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 598,175 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reichl 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
573
1 in 598,175
Census rank
#45,998
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
500
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 500 bearers of the surname Reichl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45998th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reichl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reichl
The surname REICHL is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period in Central Europe. The name is derived from the German word "reich," meaning "rich" or "wealthy," and likely referred to a person of substantial means or someone who resided in a prosperous region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the REICHL name can be found in the Codex Traditionum of the monastery of Reichersberg in Upper Austria, dating back to the 11th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname REICHL, indicating their presence in the region during that time.
During the 13th century, the REICHL surname appeared in various records and documents across German-speaking territories, including the Bavarian Codex of 1285, which listed several individuals with the name residing in the town of Reichenhall, known for its salt mines and prosperous trade.
In the 14th century, the REICHL name gained prominence in the region of Franconia, where it was associated with influential families and landowners. One notable figure from this period was Johannes REICHL, a merchant and burgher of Nuremberg, who lived between 1340 and 1412.
As the REICHL family spread across German-speaking lands, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as REICHEL, REICHLE, and REICHLER, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations.
In the 16th century, the REICHL surname appeared in the records of the city of Augsburg, where Michael REICHL, a renowned goldsmith and engraver, lived between 1520 and 1595. His intricate works were highly sought after by nobility and collectors throughout Europe.
Another prominent individual with the REICHL surname was Johann Gottfried REICHL, a German composer and organist who lived from 1727 to 1795. He served as the court organist in Braunschweig and composed numerous works for the organ and other instruments.
The 19th century saw the REICHL name spread further across Europe and beyond, with notable figures such as Karl REICHL, an Austrian architect and urban planner who lived from 1836 to 1918. He was responsible for the design of several iconic buildings in Vienna, including the Hofburg Palace.
In the 20th century, the REICHL surname gained international recognition through individuals like Elizabeth REICHL, an American writer, editor, and critic who was born in 1946. She served as the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine and authored several acclaimed books on food and memoir.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reichl
Among Census respondents with the surname Reichl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Reichl 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 Reichl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 471
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 17
- Two or more races1.8% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reichl
Reichl 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
#43,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 496
+30 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 118 places
2020
#45,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 500
+4 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 2,487 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,629 | 466 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #43,511 | 496 | 0.17 | +30 bearers (+6.4%) | Up 118 places |
| 2020 | #45,998 | 500 | 0.17 | +4 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 2,487 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 Reichl 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 | #43,511 | #45,998 | -5.7% |
| Count | 496 | 500 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.17 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reichl bearers went from 496 to 500 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 2,487 positions in the national ranking, going from #43,511 to #45,998.
FAQ
Reichl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reichl?
Name Census estimates that about 573 living Americans carry the surname Reichl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 598,175 residents.
How common is Reichl?
Reichl ranks #45,998 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 500 people with the surname Reichl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (573), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Reichl.
Has Reichl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reichl went from 496 recorded bearers to 500. That is an increase of 4 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #43,511 to #45,998.
What does the Census say about the background of Reichl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reichl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Reichl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (471 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reichl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Reichl (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 Reichl mean?
A German surname derived from the word "reich" meaning wealthy or prosperous. 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 Reichl (0.17 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 last name Reichl?
Find out how common the surname Reichl is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.