2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Remen
Of German origin, possibly referring to someone from the town of Remüngton or relating to a regional profession.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Remen. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Remen 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Remen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Remen, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Remen
The surname REMEN is of Dutch origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century in the Netherlands. It is believed to have derived from the Dutch word "remen," which means "to row" or "to sail." This connection suggests that the name may have originated among individuals who worked as sailors or rowers along the canals and waterways that crisscrossed the lowlands of the Netherlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the REMEN surname appears in the Utrecht Archives, where a certain Jan Remen is mentioned in a document dated 1587. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 16th century.
Another early reference to the REMEN name can be found in the Dutch East India Company (VOC) records from the 17th century. Several individuals with the surname REMEN are listed as sailors or crew members aboard VOC ships, lending credence to the theory that the name was connected to maritime professions.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the REMEN surname was Pieter Remen (1702-1778), a Dutch mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. His work on calculating the orbits of comets and planets was highly regarded during his lifetime.
Moving into the 19th century, one can find references to the REMEN name in various Dutch municipalities and record books. For instance, a Cornelis Remen (1825-1898) is recorded as a respected merchant and alderman in the city of Rotterdam during this period.
Another individual of note was Jan Remen (1860-1932), a prominent Dutch architect who designed several notable buildings in Amsterdam and other cities throughout the Netherlands. His legacy includes the iconic Remen Building, a landmark office structure in the heart of Amsterdam's financial district.
As the REMEN surname spread beyond the Netherlands, it can be found in various parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Remen (1885-1962), a German-born artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his avant-garde works in the early 20th century.
Throughout its history, the surname REMEN has maintained a strong connection to its Dutch origins, albeit with variations in spelling and pronunciation as it traveled to different regions. While not a particularly widespread name, it has left its mark across various fields, from mathematics and architecture to art and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Remen
Among Census respondents with the surname Remen, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Remen 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 Remen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Remen
Remen 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-11 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,820 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,432 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 18,820 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 2,432 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 Remen 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 | #145,220 | #142,788 | 1.7% |
| Count | 114 | 119 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Remen bearers went from 114 to 119 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 2,432 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #142,788.
FAQ
Remen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Remen?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Remen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Remen?
Remen ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Remen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Remen.
Has Remen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Remen went from 114 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 5 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Remen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Remen, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Remen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Remen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Remen (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 Remen mean?
Of German origin, possibly referring to someone from the town of Remüngton or relating to a regional profession. 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 Remen (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 common is the surname Remen?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Remen at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.