2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Repenning
A surname likely of German or Dutch origin, derived from the word "repinnen" meaning to mark boundaries.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 142 Americans carry the last name Repenning. That puts it at #139,059 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,413,763 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Repenning 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
142
1 in 2,413,763
Census rank
#139,059
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
124
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 124 bearers of the surname Repenning in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139059th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Repenning, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Repenning
The surname Repenning originated in Germany and is believed to have derived from the Old German word "reppen," which means "to pluck" or "to rip." This suggests that the name was likely an occupational surname given to someone who worked with fabrics or textiles.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Repenning can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Westphalia and Lower Saxony. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Johann Repenning, a merchant who lived in the city of Lübeck in the late 13th century.
In the 15th century, the name Repenning appeared in various historical records, such as the Stadtbücher (city books) of Münster, where several individuals with this surname were mentioned in connection with land transactions and legal disputes.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Repenning family gained prominence in the city of Osnabrück, where they held influential positions in the local government and served as merchants and tradesmen. One notable figure from this period was Gerhard Repenning (1597-1670), a wealthy merchant and city councilor in Osnabrück.
In the 18th century, the Repenning surname spread to other parts of Germany, as well as to neighboring countries like the Netherlands and Denmark. One prominent individual from this time was Johann Friedrich Repenning (1738-1811), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Lüdenscheid.
Another notable figure with the surname Repenning was Wilhelm Repenning (1803-1876), a German artist and painter who was known for his landscapes and historical paintings. He was born in Osnabrück and spent much of his career in Düsseldorf.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, individuals with the surname Repenning continued to make their mark in various fields, including academia, politics, and the arts. For example, Carl Repenning (1845-1918) was a German lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Repenning
Among Census respondents with the surname Repenning, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Repenning 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 Repenning surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 9
- Two or more races4.0% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Repenning
Repenning 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+35 bearers (+33.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 21,844 places
2020
#139,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-16 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,995 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +35 bearers (+33.3%) | Up 21,844 places |
| 2020 | #139,059 | 124 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 15,995 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 Repenning 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 | #123,064 | #139,059 | -13.0% |
| Count | 140 | 124 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -17.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Repenning bearers went from 140 to 124 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 15,995 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #139,059.
FAQ
Repenning surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Repenning?
Name Census estimates that about 142 living Americans carry the surname Repenning. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,413,763 residents.
How common is Repenning?
Repenning ranks #139,059 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 124 people with the surname Repenning. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (142), 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 Repenning.
Has Repenning become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Repenning went from 140 recorded bearers to 124. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #139,059.
What does the Census say about the background of Repenning?
Among Census respondents with the surname Repenning, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Repenning in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Repenning appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Hispanic (7.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Repenning (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 Repenning mean?
A surname likely of German or Dutch origin, derived from the word "repinnen" meaning to mark boundaries. 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 Repenning (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 Repenning?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.