2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rickenbrode
A surname originating from a geographic location in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Rickenbrode. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rickenbrode 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Rickenbrode in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rickenbrode, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rickenbrode
The surname Rickenbrode has its origins in the region of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It is believed to have emerged during the 13th century, derived from the Old Saxon words "ricca" meaning rich or powerful, and "brode" referring to a fertile area or meadow. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe an individual of wealth or status who lived in a prosperous agricultural area.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Rickenbrode can be found in the town records of Hannover, dating back to 1298. The entry mentions a landowner named Henrich Rickenbrode, who was involved in a dispute over property boundaries. This provides evidence that the name was already in use among the landed gentry of the region during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Rickenbrode was Johann Rickenbrode, a Lutheran theologian and scholar who lived from 1529 to 1598. He studied at the University of Wittenberg and later served as a professor of theology at the University of Rostock. Johann Rickenbrode was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and contributed to the development of Lutheran doctrine.
During the 17th century, the Rickenbrode family seems to have expanded their presence across northern Germany. Records from the city of Bremen mention a merchant named Gerhard Rickenbrode, who was engaged in the lucrative trade of Baltic timber in the 1640s. This suggests that the family had established itself among the prosperous mercantile class of the region.
In the 18th century, a military officer named Friedrich Rickenbrode gained recognition for his service in the Prussian Army during the Seven Years' War. Born in 1725, he rose through the ranks and was awarded the prestigious Pour le Mérite order for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Another notable figure was the 19th-century scientist and naturalist Carl Rickenbrode, who lived from 1811 to 1877. He made significant contributions to the field of botany, particularly in the study of plant taxonomy and the classification of flora found in the German states.
While the surname Rickenbrode is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich historical legacy rooted in the cultural and economic landscape of northern Germany. Its evolution from a potential descriptor of wealth and agricultural prosperity to its association with various professions and accomplishments reflects the diverse experiences of those who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rickenbrode
Among Census respondents with the surname Rickenbrode, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rickenbrode 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 Rickenbrode surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 102
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rickenbrode
Rickenbrode 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+12 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,707 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-8 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,306 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 2,707 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 8,306 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 Rickenbrode 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 | #141,140 | #149,446 | -5.9% |
| Count | 118 | 110 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rickenbrode bearers went from 118 to 110 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 8,306 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #149,446.
FAQ
Rickenbrode surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rickenbrode?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Rickenbrode. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Rickenbrode?
Rickenbrode ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Rickenbrode. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Rickenbrode.
Has Rickenbrode become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rickenbrode went from 118 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Rickenbrode?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rickenbrode, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Rickenbrode in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rickenbrode appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (6.4%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Rickenbrode (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 Rickenbrode mean?
A surname originating from a geographic location in Germany. 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 Rickenbrode (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 people have the surname Rickenbrode?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.