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

Ricke, 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 Ricke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ricke in America

Ricke is the 20758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ricke surname appeared 1,273 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 Ricke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ricke 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 Ricke

The surname Ricke is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German word "rick," which means "ridge" or "elevated ground." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive surname given to someone who lived on or near a ridge or hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ricke can be found in the medieval German manuscript known as the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, which dates back to the 13th century. This document mentions a certain Henricus Ricke, who owned land in the region of Saxony.

In the 14th century, the surname Ricke appeared in the town records of Nürnberg, where a man named Johannes Ricke was listed as a resident. This suggests that the name had spread to various parts of Germany during this time period.

The variant spelling "Ricken" was also common in historical records, as evidenced by the mention of a Konrad Ricken in the Bavarian town of Landshut in the late 15th century.

One notable person with the surname Ricke was Hans Ricke, a German painter and engraver who lived in Nuremberg during the 16th century (c. 1510 - c. 1580). His works include religious paintings and engravings, some of which can still be found in museums and churches in Germany.

Another historically significant figure was Johann Ricke, a German theologian and Protestant reformer who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520 - 1591). He was a follower of Martin Luther and played a role in the spread of the Reformation in Germany.

In the 17th century, a man named Johannes Ricke (1632 - 1701) gained recognition as a prominent lawyer and legal scholar in the city of Frankfurt. His writings on German law were influential during his time.

Moving into the 18th century, there was a notable German composer and organist named Christian Friedrich Ricken (1725 - 1798). He was known for his compositions for the organ and served as the organist at several churches in his native Saxony.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ricke in the United States can be found in the colonial records of Pennsylvania, where a man named Johann Ricke is listed as an immigrant in the early 18th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ricke

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

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

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

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