2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Rhinier
Rhinier is a Germanic occupational surname referring to a skinner or furrier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Rhinier. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rhinier 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Rhinier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhinier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rhinier
The surname RHINIER is of German origin, and it can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Rhineland, which was located along the Rhine River in the western part of Germany. The name is likely derived from the German word "Rhein," which means "Rhine," referring to the river itself.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RHINIER surname can be found in the Heidelberg University archives, where a scholar named Johannes RHINIER was mentioned in a document dated 1387. This suggests that the name was already in use during the Late Middle Ages in the region surrounding the Rhine River.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the RHINIER surname was Johann RHINIER, a Protestant reformer and theologian born in 1525 in Cologne. He played a significant role in promoting the Reformation movement in the Rhineland area and authored several influential theological works during his lifetime.
During the 17th century, the RHINIER name appeared in various records and documents across the Rhineland region. For example, in 1642, a merchant named Heinrich RHINIER was recorded as a member of the guild of traders in the city of Mainz.
One of the more prominent individuals with the RHINIER surname was Friedrich Wilhelm RHINIER, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1768 to 1834. He was born in Bonn and gained recognition for his contributions to the fields of ethics and metaphysics during the Age of Enlightenment.
Another notable figure was Elise RHINIER, a renowned opera singer from the 19th century. Born in 1825 in Cologne, she achieved great success in her career, performing in famous opera houses across Europe, including the Opéra Garnier in Paris and the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.
Throughout history, the RHINIER surname has also been associated with various place names and locations in the Rhineland region. For instance, the town of Rheinberg, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is believed to have derived its name from the combination of "Rhein" (Rhine) and "Berg" (hill or mountain), indicating its proximity to the Rhine River.
While the RHINIER surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, its roots and historical significance remain firmly grounded in the Rhineland region, where the name has been a part of the cultural fabric for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rhinier
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhinier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rhinier 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 Rhinier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rhinier
Rhinier 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-6 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,218 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,943 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 13,218 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 6,943 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 Rhinier 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 | #137,327 | #144,270 | -5.1% |
| Count | 122 | 117 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rhinier bearers went from 122 to 117 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 6,943 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #144,270.
FAQ
Rhinier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rhinier?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Rhinier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Rhinier?
Rhinier ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Rhinier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Rhinier.
Has Rhinier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rhinier went from 122 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Rhinier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhinier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Rhinier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rhinier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (5.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Rhinier (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 Rhinier mean?
Rhinier is a Germanic occupational surname referring to a skinner or furrier. 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 Rhinier (0.04 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 have the last name Rhinier?
Want to know how common the surname Rhinier is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.