2000
#5,866
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,405
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.00
Rare Last name
Rhinehart
Derived from a German topographic name referring to someone living near the Rhine River or having a strong heart.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,236 Americans carry the last name Rhinehart. That puts it at #6,067 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,964 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rhinehart 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
6.2K
1 in 54,964
Census rank
#6,067
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,438 bearers of the surname Rhinehart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6067th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhinehart, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rhinehart
The surname Rhinehart is of Germanic origin, with roots tracing back to the Rhine River region of central Europe. The name is derived from the combination of two Old German words, "Rhin" meaning "Rhine" and "hart" meaning "hardy" or "brave". This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely individuals who lived near the Rhine River and were known for their bravery or hardiness.
During the Middle Ages, variations of the name, such as Rhinehardt and Rheinhart, appeared in historical records and manuscripts across various German-speaking regions. One notable early reference can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, where a certain "Reinhart von Rhein" is mentioned in a charter dated 1267.
The earliest recorded example of the Rhinehart surname can be traced back to the late 13th century, with a man named Johann Rhinehart appearing in the records of the city of Cologne in 1295. This spelling of the name suggests a connection to the nearby Rhine River, as well as the Old German word "hart".
In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Konrad Rhinehart (1430-1501) was a influential merchant and landowner in the city of Mainz. His legacy is documented in various historical accounts and property records of the time.
Another notable individual bearing this surname was Hans Rhinehart (1564-1637), a respected goldsmith and craftsman who worked in the city of Augsburg during the Renaissance period. His intricate metalwork and jewelry pieces are still preserved in various museums and collections today.
In the 17th century, a German Protestant clergyman named Johann Rhinehart (1608-1679) gained prominence as a prominent theologian and author, publishing several influential works on religious doctrine and philosophy.
During the 18th century, a family of Rhinehart landowners and noblemen held significant estates and properties in the region of Baden-Württemberg, as evidenced by various land deeds and historical records from that time.
Throughout its history, the surname Rhinehart has been closely associated with the Rhine River region of central Europe, reflecting the geographic origins and characteristics of its earliest bearers. While variations in spelling have occurred over the centuries, the name's core meaning and connection to the Rhine River region have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rhinehart
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhinehart, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Rhinehart 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 Rhinehart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.2% · 4,199
- Black or African American13.4% · 728
- Two or more races4.4% · 241
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 200
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rhinehart
Rhinehart 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
#6,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,707
+302 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.93
Rank movement Down 159 places
2020
#6,067
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,438
-269 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Down 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,866 | 5,405 | 2.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,025 | 5,707 | 1.93 | +302 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 159 places |
| 2020 | #6,067 | 5,438 | 1.82 | -269 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 42 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 Rhinehart 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 | #6,025 | #6,067 | -0.7% |
| Count | 5,707 | 5,438 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.93 | 1.82 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rhinehart bearers went from 5,707 to 5,438 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,025 to #6,067.
FAQ
Rhinehart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rhinehart?
Name Census estimates that about 6,236 living Americans carry the surname Rhinehart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,964 residents.
How common is Rhinehart?
Rhinehart ranks #6,067 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,438 people with the surname Rhinehart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,236), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Rhinehart.
Has Rhinehart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rhinehart went from 5,707 recorded bearers to 5,438. That is a decrease of 269 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,025 to #6,067.
What does the Census say about the background of Rhinehart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhinehart, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Rhinehart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.2% (4,199 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rhinehart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.2%), Black (13.4%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Rhinehart (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 Rhinehart mean?
Derived from a German topographic name referring to someone living near the Rhine River or having a strong heart. 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 Rhinehart (1.82 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 common is the surname Rhinehart?
Want to know how common the surname Rhinehart is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.