2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rieckman
A German surname derived from a place name and likely meaning someone from a certain town or region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Rieckman. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rieckman 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Rieckman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rieckman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rieckman
The surname RIECKMAN is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the old German word "riec," which means "strong" or "powerful," and the suffix "-man," indicating a person or individual. This combination suggests the name may have been given to someone perceived as a strong or formidable person.
The earliest recorded instances of the RIECKMAN surname can be found in historical records from various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Bavaria, and the Rhineland, dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. During this time, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Rieckmann, Rickmann, and Rickmahn, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and orthography.
One notable figure bearing the RIECKMAN name was Johann Rieckman (1492-1559), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and participated in the Leipzig Disputation in 1519, where he defended the principles of the Reformation against the Catholic Church.
Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Rieckman (1681-1744), a German architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other parts of Prussia. His most famous work is the Prussian Academy of Sciences building in Berlin, completed in 1705.
In the 19th century, Carl Rieckman (1820-1889) was a renowned German composer and music educator. He composed numerous works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, and solo instruments, and his compositions were widely performed throughout Europe during his lifetime.
The RIECKMAN name can also be found in various historical records and documents, such as city registers, church records, and legal documents. For example, the Rieckman family is mentioned in the town records of Bamberg, Germany, dating back to the 16th century.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Rieckman (1871-1934), a German physicist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early radio technology. He held several patents related to radio transmitters and receivers, and his work paved the way for advancements in wireless communication.
While the RIECKMAN surname is primarily associated with Germany, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with historical German settlements or influence, such as parts of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rieckman
Among Census respondents with the surname Rieckman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rieckman 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 Rieckman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 93
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.8% · 4
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rieckman
Rieckman 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,576 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,594 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,576 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 3,594 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 Rieckman 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 | #149,395 | #152,989 | -2.4% |
| Count | 110 | 105 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rieckman bearers went from 110 to 105 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 3,594 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #152,989.
FAQ
Rieckman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rieckman?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Rieckman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Rieckman?
Rieckman ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Rieckman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Rieckman.
Has Rieckman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rieckman went from 110 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Rieckman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rieckman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Rieckman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rieckman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Rieckman (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 Rieckman mean?
A German surname derived from a place name and likely meaning someone from a certain town or region. 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 Rieckman (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 share the surname Rieckman?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.