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

Reiff, 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 Reiff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reiff in America

Reiff is the 8010th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reiff surname appeared 4,130 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 Reiff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reiff 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 Reiff

The surname "REIFF" is of German origin, with roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, which was once part of the Holy Roman Empire.

The name "REIFF" is thought to be derived from the Old German word "rif," which means "reef" or "rocky ridge." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near a prominent rocky formation or a ridge in the landscape.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "REIFF" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Rheno-Mosellanus, a medieval collection of documents from the Rhineland region, dating back to the 12th century. Here, the name is spelled as "Rif" or "Riff."

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Johannes Reiff was mentioned in the records of the city of Mainz, which was a prominent center of ecclesiastical and secular power during the Middle Ages. Johannes Reiff was a respected scholar and cleric who lived from 1320 to 1385.

Another significant individual bearing the surname "REIFF" was Hans Reiff, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1480 to 1541. He was known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings depicting religious and mythological scenes.

During the 16th century, the name "REIFF" also appeared in the records of the Palatinate region, where a family of landowners and nobles held significant influence. One member of this family, Johann Reiff (1520-1582), was a prominent military leader and advisor to the Elector Palatine.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name "REIFF" was Johann Friedrich Reiff (1720-1798), a German theologian and philosopher. He was a prominent figure in the Enlightenment movement and wrote extensively on topics such as natural theology and ethics.

Another significant individual with the surname "REIFF" was Carl Philipp Reiff (1813-1888), a German-American painter and lithographer. He was born in Ettlingen, Germany, but later immigrated to the United States, where he became known for his landscape paintings and lithographs depicting scenes of the American West.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reiff

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

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 Reiff 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 Reiff 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 Reiff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!