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

Rhymer, 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 Rhymer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rhymer in America

Rhymer is the 16525th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rhymer surname appeared 1,738 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rhymer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rhymer 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 Rhymer

The surname Rhymer originated in medieval England, likely in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English word "rimour," meaning a maker of rhymes or verses, essentially a poet or bard. The name suggests that the original bearer was employed as a rhymer or minstrel, composing and reciting poetry or songs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "le Rimour." This document was a census commissioned by King Edward I, providing valuable insights into the names and occupations of people living in medieval England.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Rymour" and "Rimor," reflecting the phonetic spelling variations common in that era. One notable figure from this period is William Rhymer, a poet and minstrel who lived in the late 14th century and is mentioned in several historical records from the time.

The surname Rhymer is also linked to a place name, as evidenced by the entry "John del Rymer" in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379. This suggests that some individuals with this surname may have derived their name from a specific location, possibly a town or village associated with rhyming or poetry.

During the 15th century, the name continued to appear in various spellings, such as "Rymour" and "Rymmer." One noteworthy individual from this time was Thomas Rhymer, a Scottish poet and seer who lived in the late 15th century and is featured in several Scottish ballads and legends.

In the 16th century, the surname Rhymer gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Rhymer, a renowned English poet and playwright born in 1546. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is recognized for his contributions to English literature during the Elizabethan era.

Other notable individuals with the surname Rhymer include John Rhymer, an English poet and playwright born in 1592, and Elizabeth Rhymer, a celebrated actress and writer who lived in the late 17th century.

While the surname Rhymer is not as common today as it once was, its rich history and association with poetry, literature, and the arts make it a unique and intriguing name with deep roots in medieval England and Scotland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rhymer

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

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

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

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