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

Reinke, 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 Reinke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reinke in America

Reinke is the 5836th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reinke surname appeared 5,926 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 Reinke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reinke 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 Reinke

The surname REINKE is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Rein", which means "pure" or "clean", and may have initially been used as a nickname for someone with a pure or unblemished character.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the REINKE surname can be found in the town of Reinfeld, located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The town's name, which translates to "pure field", suggests a connection to the surname's origins.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the REINKE name appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts across Northern Germany. For instance, a knight named Reinke von Dorneburg was mentioned in a chronicle from 1325, detailing his participation in a local conflict near the city of Lübeck.

In the 15th century, the REINKE surname gained prominence with the publication of the Low German literary work "Reynke de Vos" (Reynard the Fox) by an unknown author. This satirical animal fable, which features a cunning fox named Reinke, became widely popular and influenced subsequent literary works across Europe.

Notable individuals with the REINKE surname include Johann Christian Reinke (1737-1815), a German jurist and legal scholar who authored several influential works on German civil law. Another prominent figure was August Wilhelm Reinke (1849-1919), a German botanist and university professor who made significant contributions to the study of plant physiology and ecology.

During the 19th century, the REINKE surname spread beyond Germany as many individuals emigrated to other parts of the world. One such individual was Friedrich Reinke (1824-1903), a German immigrant to the United States who settled in Wisconsin and became a successful farmer and landowner.

In the 20th century, Otto Reinke (1876-1965), a German businessman and industrialist, played a pivotal role in the development of the German chemical industry. He held leadership positions in several companies, including the prominent chemical company BASF.

Throughout history, the REINKE surname has been closely associated with its German roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, writers, scientists, and entrepreneurs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reinke

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

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

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

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