Reilman last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Reilman

An anglicized form of a German surname meaning a small ruler or petty ruler.

Reilman, 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 Reilman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reilman in America

Reilman is the 126018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reilman surname appeared 136 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Reilman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reilman 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 126018 118954 5.77%
Count 136 135 0.74%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.05 0.00%

The history of the last name Reilman

The surname Reilman is of German origin, originating in the 16th century. It likely derived from the German word "reil," meaning "rail" or "beam," combined with the suffix "-man," indicating a person or occupation. This suggests that the name may have referred to an individual involved in woodworking or construction, potentially working with rails or beams.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reilman dates back to 1587 in a church register from the town of Zittau, located in the present-day state of Saxony, Germany. This entry mentions a certain Hans Reilman, who was a carpenter by trade.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records from the Palatinate region of Germany, which was a significant center of German emigration to North America during that period. This suggests that some Reilman families may have been among the early German settlers in the American colonies.

The Reilman surname can also be found in historical documents from the Rhineland-Palatinate area, such as the village of Alsheim. Records from this region in the late 17th and early 18th centuries mention individuals with variations of the spelling, including Reilmann, Reillmann, and Reilman.

One notable individual with the surname Reilman was Johann Reilman (1737-1810), a German composer and organist who served as the court kapellmeister (music director) for the Prince-Bishop of Münster in the late 18th century.

Another person of note was Wilhelm Reilman (1825-1896), a German theologian and author who published works on church history and Christian apologetics.

In the 19th century, the Reilman name was present in various parts of Europe, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. One example is Friedrich Reilman (1846-1914), a German-born architect who designed several notable buildings in Vienna, Austria.

Additionally, the Reilman surname can be found in historical records from the Netherlands, indicating that it may have spread to Dutch-speaking regions as well.

Overall, the surname Reilman has a long and varied history, rooted in German origins and potentially connected to occupations involving woodworking or construction. While not an exceptionally common name, it has been documented in various European regions over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reilman

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

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 Reilman was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.18% 124
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.68% 5
Hispanic Origin 5.15% 7

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 Reilman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.18% 97.04% -6.23%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 3.68% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 5.15% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Reilman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 13, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/reilman-surname-popularity/.

"Reilman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/reilman-surname-popularity/. Accessed 13 May, 2025

Reilman last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/reilman-surname-popularity/.

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