Rials last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Rials

A topographic surname derived from a French location name meaning "marshy area."

Rials, 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 Rials surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rials in America

Rials is the 24049th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rials surname appeared 1,048 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rials.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rials 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 24049 22222 7.90%
Count 1,048 1,083 -3.28%
Proportion per 100k 0.36 0.40 -10.53%

The history of the last name Rials

The surname Rials has its origins in France, with records dating back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "rial," which referred to a small stream or creek. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname, given to someone who lived near a small waterway.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property conducted in England in 1086. The entry "Radulfus de Riales" is listed, indicating that a person with a variation of the Rials surname held land in Normandy at that time.

In the 13th century, records show a Guillaume de Rials as a prominent landowner in the French region of Burgundy. This suggests that the name had become established among the nobility and gentry of the area.

Another notable figure with the surname Rials was Jean Rials, a French merchant and explorer who was born in 1475 in the town of Dijon. He is known for his travels to the Middle East and his detailed accounts of the trade routes and cultures he encountered.

During the Renaissance period, the Rials family produced several notable scholars and artists. Jacques Rials (1520-1589) was a renowned philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Paris. His contemporary, Pierre Rials (1527-1598), was a celebrated painter who worked primarily in the city of Lyon.

In the 17th century, the name appears in records from various regions of France, indicating its widespread distribution. One notable individual from this time was Antoine Rials (1642-1718), a military officer who served under King Louis XIV and participated in several campaigns during the Nine Years' War.

As the surname spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, including Riale, Rialls, and Rialle. However, the core pronunciation and meaning remained consistent, reflecting the name's French origins and its connection to small waterways or streams.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rials

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

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 Rials was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 72.14% 756
Non-Hispanic Black Only 20.90% 219
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.67% 28
Hispanic Origin 3.63% 38

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 Rials has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 72.14% 77.56% -7.24%
Black 20.90% 18.37% 12.89%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.67% 1.94% 31.67%
Hispanic 3.63% 1.57% 79.23%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Rials last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 3, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/rials-surname-popularity/.

"Rials last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/rials-surname-popularity/. Accessed 3 November, 2024

Rials last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/rials-surname-popularity/.

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