2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Richmer
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "rich marsh" or "abundant meadow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Richmer. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Richmer 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Richmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Richmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Richmer
The surname Richmer has its roots firmly planted in the rich tapestry of German ancestry, tracing its origins back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a specific place or region within the vast expanse of the Germanic territories.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Richmer can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents and charters compiled in the 13th century. This particular reference dates back to the year 1284, where a certain Heinricus Richmer is mentioned as a landowner in the region of Saxony.
As the centuries unfolded, the name Richmer continued to make its mark in various historical annals and records. In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Johann Richmer (1537-1604), a renowned scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the intellectual discourse of the Protestant Reformation.
The 17th century saw the emergence of another prominent individual, Hans Richmer (1643-1701), a skilled artisan and woodcarver whose intricate works adorned churches and noble residences throughout the Rhineland region.
In the late 18th century, a branch of the Richmer family found themselves in the Kingdom of Prussia, where a certain Wilhelm Richmer (1768-1829) served as a respected military officer during the turbulent Napoleonic Wars.
As the 19th century dawned, the name Richmer continued to leave its indelible mark on history through the achievements of individuals like Friedrich Richmer (1812-1887), a pioneering botanist and naturalist whose groundbreaking research on plant life in the Bavarian Alps earned him widespread acclaim.
While the name Richmer may have originated as a locational surname, its presence throughout the annals of history speaks to the diverse contributions and accomplishments of those who bore it, spanning disciplines ranging from academia and theology to the arts and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Richmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Richmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Richmer 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 Richmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Richmer
Richmer 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,539 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+13 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,754 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,539 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 13,754 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 Richmer 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 | #160,975 | #147,221 | 8.5% |
| Count | 100 | 113 | 13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Richmer bearers went from 100 to 113 (+13.0% change). The surname moved up 13,754 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #147,221.
FAQ
Richmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Richmer?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Richmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Richmer?
Richmer ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Richmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Richmer.
Has Richmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Richmer went from 100 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 13 (+13.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Richmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Richmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Richmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Richmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Richmer (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 Richmer mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "rich marsh" or "abundant meadow". 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 Richmer (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 Americans have the surname Richmer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.