2000
#3,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,765
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.25
Rare Last name
Reimer
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of rhymes, harnesses, or straps, derived from Middle High German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,987 Americans carry the last name Reimer. That puts it at #3,955 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,320 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reimer 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
10.0K
1 in 34,320
Census rank
#3,955
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,709 bearers of the surname Reimer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3955th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reimer
The surname Reimer originated in the Low German region of Germany, likely first appearing around the 13th century. It is derived from the Low German word "remer," which means "a maker of stirrups or spurs." In areas like Saxony and Lower Saxony, the name was used to refer to skilled artisans who crafted these essential pieces of equestrian equipment.
One of the earliest known records of the name Reimer appears in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the late 13th century. This early mention suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
In the 14th century, the name Reimer began to spread beyond its original Low German roots, appearing in various forms such as Reymer, Reymers, and Reimers. This diversification of spellings was common in an era when standardized spelling conventions were not yet widespread.
One notable example of the name's early history is found in the records of the city of Lübeck, where a Hinrich Reimer was listed as a respected citizen and member of the town council in the mid-15th century.
As the centuries passed, the name Reimer continued to be found throughout northern Germany, particularly in areas like Mecklenburg, Pomerania, and Schleswig-Holstein. In some cases, the name became associated with specific locations, leading to variations like Reimersdorf or Reimershagen.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Reimer throughout history are:
1. Johann Reimer (1588-1647), a German composer and organist known for his contributions to the development of the North German Organ School.
2. Hans Reimer (1602-1672), a German goldsmith and engraver who worked in the city of Hamburg during the 17th century.
3. Christian Reimer (1753-1818), a German theologian and scholar who served as the rector of the University of Greifswald.
4. Otto Reimer (1823-1896), a German businessman and industrialist who founded the Reimer Steel Works in Oberhausen.
5. Franz Reimer (1851-1925), a German painter and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes in Holstein.
While the surname Reimer has its roots in the Low German regions of northern Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora, carrying with it a rich history that reflects the skilled craftsmanship and cultural heritage of its origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reimer
Among Census respondents with the surname Reimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Reimer 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 Reimer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 8,030
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 281
- Two or more races2.7% · 236
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 55
- Black or African American0.4% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reimer
Reimer 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
#3,927
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,055
+290 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 3.07
Rank movement Down 211 places
2020
#3,955
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,709
-346 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.91
Rank movement Down 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,716 | 8,765 | 3.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,927 | 9,055 | 3.07 | +290 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 211 places |
| 2020 | #3,955 | 8,709 | 2.91 | -346 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 28 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 Reimer 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 | #3,927 | #3,955 | -0.7% |
| Count | 9,055 | 8,709 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.07 | 2.91 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reimer bearers went from 9,055 to 8,709 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,927 to #3,955.
FAQ
Reimer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reimer?
Name Census estimates that about 9,987 living Americans carry the surname Reimer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,320 residents.
How common is Reimer?
Reimer ranks #3,955 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,709 people with the surname Reimer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,987), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Reimer.
Has Reimer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reimer went from 9,055 recorded bearers to 8,709. That is a decrease of 346 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,927 to #3,955.
What does the Census say about the background of Reimer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Reimer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (8,030 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reimer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Reimer (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 Reimer mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of rhymes, harnesses, or straps, derived from Middle High German. 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 Reimer (2.91 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 Americans have the surname Reimer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.