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

Reker, 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 Reker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reker in America

Reker is the 46138th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reker surname appeared 462 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 Reker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reker 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 Reker

The surname REKER is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "recker," meaning "one who stretches or rakes." It is believed to have originated in the 14th century as an occupational name for someone who raked or tended to fields or harvests.

The name REKER was first found in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, particularly in the towns of Halle and Merseburg. Records from the 15th century show variations of the spelling, such as Reker, Recker, and Recken.

One of the earliest documented references to the REKER name is in the Bürgermeisterbuch (Mayor's Book) of the city of Halle, where a Johann Reker is mentioned as a citizen in 1457. Another early record is from the Kirchenbücher (Church Books) of Merseburg, which lists a Hans Reker as a resident in 1492.

In the 16th century, the name REKER began to spread beyond Saxony-Anhalt. In 1523, a Heinrich Reker is recorded as a resident of Magdeburg, while a Claus Reker is mentioned in the records of the city of Hamburg in 1587.

One notable individual with the REKER surname was Johann Reker (1520-1592), a Lutheran theologian and rector of the Magdeburg Cathedral School. He played a significant role in the development of Protestantism in the region.

Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Reker (1673-1745), a German mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the calculation of planetary orbits and the prediction of solar eclipses.

In the 19th century, the REKER name gained recognition through Johann Anton Reker (1808-1881), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who established successful textile manufacturing companies in Saxony.

Other notable individuals with the REKER surname include:

• Friedrich Reker (1879-1961), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities.
• Hermann Reker (1890-1972), a German chess master and author of several books on chess theory and strategy.
• Erich Reker (1919-2003), a German actor and theater director who worked extensively in both film and stage productions.

While the REKER name is most commonly found in Germany, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and the world through migration and diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reker

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

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

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

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