2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rheuark
A German-derived surname meaning "ruler or leader of cattle".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Rheuark. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rheuark 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Rheuark in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rheuark, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rheuark
The surname Rheuark has its origins traced back to the mountainous regions of central Germany, where it is believed to have emerged sometime around the 15th century. It is a variation of the German word "Rheinhark," which translates to "riverbank" or "river ridge," suggesting that the name may have been originally associated with individuals residing near a prominent river or its banks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rheuark can be found in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria, Germany. In a document dated 1489, a certain Heinreich Rheuark is mentioned as a landowner and farmer in the region.
The name is also thought to have been present in the Rhineland region of Germany, where variations such as "Rheinark" and "Rheunarck" were documented in local records during the 16th and 17th centuries. This further strengthens the connection between the name and its possible association with rivers or riverbanks.
In the late 17th century, a notable individual bearing the surname Rheuark was Johann Rheuark, a renowned blacksmith and metalworker from the town of Marburg, Hesse. His intricate ironwork can still be found adorning several historic buildings in the region, testament to his skill and craftsmanship.
As the name spread across Europe, it is believed to have been carried by immigrants to other parts of the world, particularly during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. One such individual was Gerhardt Rheuark, who was born in 1763 in the town of Worms, Germany, and later emigrated to the United States, settling in Pennsylvania.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Rheuark, a German-born philosopher and educator who lived from 1805 to 1879. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time and authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.
In the late 19th century, the name gained some prominence in the United Kingdom, where a certain Elizabeth Rheuark (1852-1924) was a well-known philanthropist and social activist, dedicating her life to improving the lives of underprivileged children in London's East End.
While the surname Rheuark may not be as widespread as some other German surnames, it has a rich history and a connection to the landscapes and cultures of central Europe, where it first emerged and evolved over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rheuark
Among Census respondents with the surname Rheuark, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rheuark 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 Rheuark surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 6
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rheuark
Rheuark 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+22 bearers (+20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,710 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-31 bearers (-23.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 26,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +22 bearers (+20.0%) | Up 10,710 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -31 bearers (-23.5%) | Down 26,223 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 Rheuark 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 | #129,047 | #155,270 | -20.3% |
| Count | 132 | 101 | -23.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rheuark bearers went from 132 to 101 (-23.5% change). The surname moved down 26,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #155,270.
FAQ
Rheuark surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rheuark?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Rheuark. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Rheuark?
Rheuark ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Rheuark. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Rheuark.
Has Rheuark become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rheuark went from 132 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 31 (-23.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Rheuark?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rheuark, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Rheuark in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rheuark appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Rheuark (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 Rheuark mean?
A German-derived surname meaning "ruler or leader of cattle". 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 Rheuark (0.03 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 share the surname Rheuark?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.