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

Reyer, 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 Reyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reyer in America

Reyer is the 24982nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reyer surname appeared 995 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 Reyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reyer 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 Reyer

The surname REYER originates from Germany and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "reyger," which means "heron" or "egret." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a location where these birds were found or someone who worked with these birds in some capacity.

One of the earliest known records of the REYER surname can be found in the town of Mühlhausen in Thuringia, Germany, where a person named Heinricus Reyger was mentioned in a document from the year 1292. This spelling variation highlights the potential origin of the name from the Old German word "reyger."

In the 15th century, the name REYER appeared in various historical records across different regions of Germany. For instance, a man named Hanns Reyer was mentioned in the town records of Eisleben in Saxony-Anhalt in 1459. Additionally, a certain Petrus Reyer was documented in the city of Augsburg in Bavaria in 1476.

The REYER surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One prominent example is the German composer and music theorist Gustav Reyer, who lived from 1828 to 1898. He is best known for his operas, including "Sigurd" and "La Statue."

Another notable REYER was the French composer and critic Ernest Reyer, born in 1823 and died in 1909. He is particularly renowned for his grand operas, such as "Sigurd" and "Salammbô," which were influenced by the works of Richard Wagner.

In the realm of literature, the German writer and playwright Gustav Reyer (1812-1885) made significant contributions. He is remembered for his comedies and historical dramas, including "Die Belagerung von Neuss" (The Siege of Neuss) and "Der ewige Jude" (The Eternal Jew).

The REYER surname has also been associated with notable figures in the field of science. For example, the German botanist and explorer Bernhard Reyer (1807-1880) is known for his extensive work on the flora of South America, particularly in Chile and Argentina.

Additionally, the German geologist and mineralogist Eduard Reyer (1849-1914) made significant contributions to the understanding of volcanic phenomena and the formation of igneous rocks, publishing numerous works on these subjects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reyer

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

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

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

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