2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Reinis
A surname of German or Latvian origin meaning a person from the Rhine region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Reinis. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reinis 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Reinis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reinis, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reinis
The surname REINIS is of Latvian origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period in the region now known as Latvia. The name is believed to be derived from the Latvian word "reinis," which means "stranger" or "foreigner." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who had arrived from another region or country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the REINIS surname can be found in a 15th-century document from the Latvian city of Riga. The document mentions a merchant named Andrejs REINIS, who was involved in trade with the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic alliance of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the REINIS surname became more widespread in Latvia, particularly in the regions of Vidzeme and Kurzeme. Several historical records from this period, including church registers and tax documents, mention individuals bearing this surname.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the REINIS surname was Karlis REINIS (1720-1789), a Latvian philosopher and writer who played a significant role in the development of Latvian literature and cultural identity. His works, which explored themes of ethics, morality, and social commentary, were influential during the Age of Enlightenment.
Another prominent individual bearing the REINIS surname was Janis REINIS (1848-1923), a Latvian politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Latvia after the country gained independence from Russia in 1918. He played a crucial role in establishing the foundations of the modern Latvian state.
In the 20th century, the REINIS surname gained further recognition with Karlis REINIS (1892-1962), a renowned Latvian artist and painter known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life. His works are celebrated for their vivid colors and expressionist style, and many of his paintings are housed in major museums and galleries in Latvia.
Throughout its history, the REINIS surname has been associated with various place names and locations within Latvia, such as the town of Reinisciems (literally translated as "REINIS village") and the Reinis muiza (REINIS manor) in the Vidzeme region.
While the REINIS surname has its origins in Latvia, it has also been found in other parts of the Baltic region and Eastern Europe, likely due to migration and cultural exchange over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reinis
Among Census respondents with the surname Reinis, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Reinis 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 Reinis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.7% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino18.6% · 22
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reinis
Reinis 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,341 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 2,341 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,354 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 Reinis 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 | #140,157 | #143,511 | -2.4% |
| Count | 119 | 118 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reinis bearers went from 119 to 118 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #143,511.
FAQ
Reinis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reinis?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Reinis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Reinis?
Reinis ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Reinis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Reinis.
Has Reinis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reinis went from 119 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Reinis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reinis, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Reinis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reinis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.7%), Hispanic (18.6%), Black (0.8%). 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 Reinis (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 Reinis mean?
A surname of German or Latvian origin meaning a person from the Rhine region. 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 Reinis (0.04 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 surname Reinis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.