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

Rettig, 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 Rettig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rettig in America

Rettig is the 8986th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rettig surname appeared 3,641 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rettig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rettig 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 Rettig

The surname Rettig is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "rette," meaning "to save" or "to rescue." The name likely originated in the 14th or 15th century, possibly referring to someone who worked as a rescuer or lifeguard.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, where a certain Hans Rettig was mentioned in 1436. The name also appeared in various other historical documents throughout the German regions during the late medieval and early modern periods.

Rettig is closely related to other German surnames such as Rettig, Rettich, and Rettinger, which share the same root word and meaning. These variations in spelling were common due to regional dialects and differences in record-keeping practices.

In the 16th century, the surname Rettig was associated with a notable German scholar and theologian, Johannes Rettig, who was born in 1510 in Wittenberg. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.

Another prominent figure bearing the name Rettig was Georg Rettig, a German composer and organist who lived from 1679 to 1738. He is best known for his contributions to the development of the North German Baroque organ tradition.

The name Rettig also has connections to various place names in Germany, such as Rettigen, a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg, and Rettigheim, a village in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. These place names likely influenced the formation of the surname in their respective regions.

In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Rettig surname was Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Rettig, a German jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1806 to 1871. He made significant contributions to the field of civil law and is remembered for his work on the Prussian legal code.

Another prominent figure was Robert Rettig, a German-American artist and illustrator who lived from 1888 to 1975. He was known for his drawings and illustrations, which appeared in various publications and advertisements during the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rettig

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

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

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

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