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

Rieck, 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 Rieck surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rieck in America

Rieck is the 11132nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rieck surname appeared 2,847 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rieck.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rieck 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 Rieck

The surname Rieck is of German origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the northern German region, particularly in areas such as Mecklenburg and Pomerania. The name is derived from the Old German word "riec," which means "rich" or "wealthy," suggesting that the original bearers of this name were individuals of affluence or high social standing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rieck surname can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 14th century. The name appears in various spellings, including "Ricke," "Rike," and "Rycke," reflecting the linguistic variations common during that era.

In the 16th century, the Rieck surname gained prominence with the birth of Matthias Rieck (1528-1594), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and served as a pastor in several towns across Germany.

Another notable figure was Johann Peter Rieck (1681-1765), a German composer and organist who lived during the Baroque period. He was renowned for his compositions for the organ and his contributions to sacred music.

In the 19th century, Friedrich Wilhelm Rieck (1810-1872) gained recognition as a German pianist, composer, and music critic. He was a prominent figure in the Berlin musical scene and contributed extensively to the development of piano pedagogy.

The Rieck surname also found its way into the realm of literature with the birth of Carl Gottlieb Rieck (1804-1877), a German writer and poet. He is best known for his contributions to the Göttingen Dichterbund, a literary circle that played a significant role in the development of German Romanticism.

Lastly, Gustav Rieck (1899-1959) was a German naval officer who served during World War II. He held the rank of Kapitän zur See (Captain at Sea) and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, one of the highest military honors in Nazi Germany, for his service in the Battle of the Atlantic.

While the Rieck surname has its roots in northern Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchange that have shaped human history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rieck

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

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

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

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