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

Rhem, 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 Rhem surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rhem in America

Rhem is the 30946th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rhem surname appeared 751 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 Rhem.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rhem 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 Rhem

The surname Rhem is of Germanic origin, tracing its roots back to the regions of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "rim," which means "border" or "edge," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a border or boundary.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rhem can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Rim," "Rym," and "Rhem," indicating its evolution over time.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Johann Rhem was a prominent scholar and rector at the University of Leipzig. He is considered one of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname, having lived from approximately 1320 to 1390.

During the Renaissance period, a Dutch painter named Rembrandt van Rijn, born in 1606, gained widespread fame for his masterful works. Although his surname was "van Rijn," it is possible that the name Rhem is a variation of this Dutch patronymic.

In the 18th century, a German composer named Johann Baptist Rhem (1713-1780) made significant contributions to the world of classical music, particularly in the field of sacred choral works.

Another noteworthy figure with the surname Rhem was Friedrich Rhem (1832-1910), a German politician and member of the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire, during the late 19th century.

While the name Rhem may have originated in the Germanic regions, it has since spread across various parts of Europe and beyond, with individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rhem

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

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

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

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