2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Riddlesperger
A German surname possibly related to riding or traveling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Riddlesperger. 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 Riddlesperger 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 Riddlesperger 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 Riddlesperger, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riddlesperger
The surname Riddlesperger is of German origin, with its roots traceable to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old High German words "ridil," meaning "riddle," and "sperger," which signifies "maker" or "creator." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an individual who composed or recited riddles as a profession or pastime.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, primarily from the regions of Bavaria and Swabia in southern Germany. One notable early bearer of the name was Johannes Riddlesperger, a scribe and chronicler who lived in the town of Augsburg in the late 14th century.
During the 15th century, the name began to appear in records from other parts of Germany, indicating that families bearing the surname had begun to migrate and settle in new regions. In 1472, a merchant named Hans Riddlesperger was mentioned in the town records of Nuremberg, suggesting that the name had spread to the northern regions of Germany.
The 16th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the Riddlesperger surname. One such figure was Martin Riddlesperger (1506-1583), a Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Germany. Another was Johann Riddlesperger (1527-1598), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who taught at the University of Wittenberg.
In the 17th century, the name Riddlesperger can be found in records from various German principalities and city-states. One notable bearer from this period was Georg Riddlesperger (1623-1688), a jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the city of Frankfurt.
As the centuries progressed, the Riddlesperger name continued to be carried by individuals across different professions and walks of life. Among them were Friedrich Riddlesperger (1718-1797), a successful merchant and shipowner from Hamburg; Ernst Riddlesperger (1842-1912), a renowned architect known for his contributions to the Gothic Revival style; and Wilhelm Riddlesperger (1876-1945), a celebrated composer and conductor who worked in several prestigious opera houses across Europe.
While the name Riddlesperger remains relatively uncommon, its historical significance and unique origins reflect the rich cultural tapestry of Germany and the diverse narratives woven into its linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riddlesperger
Among Census respondents with the surname Riddlesperger, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Riddlesperger 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 Riddlesperger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.7% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 12
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riddlesperger
Riddlesperger 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+11 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,089 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,099 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 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 2,089 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,099 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 Riddlesperger 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 | #148,347 | #149,446 | -0.7% |
| Count | 111 | 110 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riddlesperger bearers went from 111 to 110 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,099 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #149,446.
FAQ
Riddlesperger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riddlesperger?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Riddlesperger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Riddlesperger?
Riddlesperger 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 Riddlesperger. 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 Riddlesperger.
Has Riddlesperger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riddlesperger went from 111 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Riddlesperger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riddlesperger, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Riddlesperger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riddlesperger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.7%), Hispanic (10.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Riddlesperger (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 Riddlesperger mean?
A German surname possibly related to riding or traveling. 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 Riddlesperger (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 Riddlesperger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.