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

Rhyne, 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 Rhyne surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rhyne in America

Rhyne is the 7373rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rhyne surname appeared 4,518 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rhyne.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rhyne 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 Rhyne

The surname Rhyne has its origins in the German and Dutch languages, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "rīn," meaning "Rhine," referring to the famous river that flows through central Europe. This suggests that the name likely originated among families living near or along the banks of the Rhine River.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rhyne surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive land survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "de Reno," a latinized version of the Germanic root. This entry indicates that individuals bearing this surname were present in England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

In the 13th century, historical records from the German region of the Rhineland mention individuals with the surname Rhyne or similar spellings, such as Rhein or Rein. These variations likely arose due to differences in regional dialects and scribal errors in transcribing the name.

A notable figure bearing the Rhyne surname was Johannes Rhyne, a Dutch botanist and physician born in 1640. He is best known for his pioneering work in documenting the flora and fauna of the Cape Colony in South Africa during the 17th century.

Another prominent individual was John Rhyne, an English musician and composer born in 1572. He served as a court musician for Queen Elizabeth I and is credited with composing several instrumental works that were popular during the Elizabethan era.

In the realm of literature, the American author Steen Rhyne, born in 1928, gained recognition for his novels and short stories depicting life in the Southern United States. His works often explored themes of identity, family dynamics, and the complexities of human relationships.

The surname Rhyne has also been associated with notable figures in other fields, such as Sir John Rhyne, a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century, and Elizabeth Rhyne, an American economist and expert in microfinance, who has made significant contributions to poverty alleviation efforts worldwide.

While the Rhyne surname has its roots in Germanic languages, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name making their mark across different disciplines and eras throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rhyne

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

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

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

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