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

Reiner, 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 Reiner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reiner in America

Reiner is the 6522nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reiner surname appeared 5,202 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Reiner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reiner 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 Reiner

The surname Reiner is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "reinen," meaning "pure" or "clean." This name is thought to have originated as an occupational surname for someone who worked in a profession that required cleanliness, such as a launderer or a bleacher.

The earliest known record of the Reiner surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Bavaria, where it is believed to have first emerged. In the medieval period, the name was often spelled as "Reinaer" or "Reyner."

In the 14th century, the Reiner surname appeared in various historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This suggests that the name had spread beyond Bavaria and into other parts of Germany by this time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Reiner surname was Johannes Reiner, a Catholic priest who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several church records from that period.

In the 16th century, the name Reiner appeared in the town of Ansbach, located in the modern-day German state of Bavaria. A notable figure from this era was Hans Reiner, a goldsmith who was born in Ansbach around 1510 and became a respected craftsman in the region.

During the 17th century, the Reiner surname gained prominence in the city of Frankfurt, where several individuals bearing this name were involved in various trades and professions. One example is Johann Reiner, a merchant who lived in Frankfurt in the mid-1600s and was known for his successful business ventures.

Another notable individual with the Reiner surname was Carl Christian Reiner, a German philosopher and theologian who lived in the 18th century (1701-1768). He was born in the town of Alfeld and made significant contributions to the field of natural theology.

In the 19th century, the Reiner surname spread further throughout Germany and into neighboring countries. One notable figure from this era was Gustav Reiner (1819-1892), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives.

As the name Reiner evolved over time, various place names and older spellings emerged. For example, the town of Reinerhausen in the German state of Hesse is believed to be derived from the Reiner surname, with "hausen" meaning "village" or "settlement" in German.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reiner

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

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

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

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