2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Remkes
A Dutch surname derived from a nickname or personal name meaning "brave one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Remkes. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Remkes 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Remkes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Remkes, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Remkes
The surname Remkes is of Dutch origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period in the Low Countries. This name is believed to have derived from the Middle Dutch word "remke," which referred to a narrow strip of land or a small ridge between two ditches or streams.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Remkes surname can be found in the Dutch city of Leiden, where a certain Claes Remkes was mentioned in municipal records dating back to the late 15th century. The name also appears in various historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in the provinces of North and South Holland, Zeeland, and Utrecht.
During the Dutch Golden Age, several notable individuals bore the Remkes surname. One such figure was Pieter Remkes (1609-1660), a renowned painter from Haarlem who specialized in still-life and genre paintings. His works are highly regarded and can be found in prestigious museums across Europe.
Another historical figure of note was Jan Remkes (1756-1824), a Dutch playwright and poet from Amsterdam. He was celebrated for his comedic plays and satires, which provided insightful commentary on the social and political climate of his time.
In the 19th century, the Remkes surname gained further prominence with the birth of Willem Remkes (1810-1892), a prominent Dutch statesman and diplomat. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Netherlands from 1858 to 1860 and played a crucial role in shaping the country's international relations during a turbulent period in European history.
The name Remkes also appears in historical records from other parts of Europe, suggesting that Dutch migrants and settlers may have carried the surname to new lands. For instance, a Johann Remkes is mentioned in the church records of the German city of Cologne in the late 17th century.
While the Remkes surname is not as widespread as some other Dutch surnames, it has left an indelible mark on the historical tapestry of the Low Countries and beyond. The name's origins are deeply rooted in the geography and language of the region, serving as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Dutch people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Remkes
Among Census respondents with the surname Remkes, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Remkes 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 Remkes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Remkes
Remkes appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 289 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 Remkes 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 | #152,628 | #152,339 | 0.2% |
| Count | 107 | 106 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Remkes bearers went from 107 to 106 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 289 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #152,339.
FAQ
Remkes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Remkes?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Remkes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Remkes?
Remkes ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Remkes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Remkes.
Has Remkes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Remkes went from 107 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Remkes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Remkes, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Remkes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Remkes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Black (1.9%). 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 Remkes (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 Remkes mean?
A Dutch surname derived from a nickname or personal name meaning "brave one". 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 Remkes (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 Remkes?
See how many people have the surname Remkes on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.