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

Riat, 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 Riat surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riat in America

Riat is the 112568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riat surname appeared 156 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 Riat.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riat 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 Riat

The surname RIAT has its origins in France, emerging in the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "riart," which referred to a small stream or brook. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a locational surname, indicating that the family originated from an area near a stream or river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RIAT can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Savigny, a medieval cartulary from the late 12th century. This document mentions a person named Robertus Riart, who was likely one of the earliest bearers of the surname.

In the 14th century, the name RIAT appeared in the Livre des Bourgeois de Besançon, a record of the citizens of Besançon, a city in eastern France. This suggests that the name had spread to various regions of France by this time.

During the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved slightly, with variations such as Riatt and Riat appearing in various records. One notable individual from this period was Jean Riat, a French poet and writer who lived from 1528 to 1602.

In the 17th century, the name RIAT appeared in the Armorial Général de France, a collection of coats of arms compiled during the reign of Louis XIV. This indicates that some branches of the RIAT family had attained a certain level of nobility or prominence during this time.

Another notable bearer of the name RIAT was Pierre Riat, a French philosopher and theologian who lived from 1638 to 1705. He wrote several works on theology and philosophy and was considered a significant figure in the intellectual circles of his time.

In the 18th century, the RIAT name spread to other parts of Europe, including Switzerland and Germany. One individual of note from this period was Johann Riat, a Swiss clockmaker born in 1724 who was renowned for his intricate and precise timepieces.

The 19th century saw the RIAT name extend its reach to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of emigration from France and other European countries. One notable figure from this period was Charles Riat, a French-Canadian artist and painter who lived from 1835 to 1905 and was known for his landscapes depicting the Canadian wilderness.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riat

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

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

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

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