2000
#15,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,775
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Riehle
A German surname possibly deriving from the word "rille" meaning "groove" or "channel".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,113 Americans carry the last name Riehle. That puts it at #15,331 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riehle 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
2.1K
1 in 162,212
Census rank
#15,331
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,843 bearers of the surname Riehle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15331st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riehle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riehle
The surname Riehle has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely emerging during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "riel," which referred to a small stream or brook. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with someone who lived near or worked with a small body of water.
The earliest recorded instances of the Riehle surname can be traced back to the 13th century, appearing in various historical documents and records from regions now part of modern-day Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. One notable example is the mention of a Johannes Riehle in a land registry from the town of Tübingen, dated 1287.
In the 14th century, variations of the Riehle surname began to surface in different areas, such as Riele, Riehl, and Riehl. These slight spelling variations were common due to regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of record-keeping at the time. For instance, a Heinricus Riele was documented in a church register from the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1342.
As the centuries progressed, the Riehle surname became more widespread, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was Johann Riehle (1558-1628), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen and wrote extensively on religious topics.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Riehle (1790-1864), a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and architectural depictions. His works can be found in various museums and galleries across Europe.
In the 19th century, a prominent member of the Riehle family was Hermann Riehle (1817-1892), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen and made significant contributions to the field of commercial law.
While the Riehle surname is most commonly associated with its German origins, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its historical roots can be traced back to the Germanic regions of Central Europe, where it emerged as a name linked to geographical features and the natural landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riehle
Among Census respondents with the surname Riehle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Riehle 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 Riehle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 1,708
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 73
- Two or more races1.8% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riehle
Riehle 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
#15,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,855
+80 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 502 places
2020
#15,331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,843
-12 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 388 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,217 | 1,775 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,719 | 1,855 | 0.63 | +80 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 502 places |
| 2020 | #15,331 | 1,843 | 0.62 | -12 bearers (-0.6%) | Up 388 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 Riehle 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 | #15,719 | #15,331 | 2.5% |
| Count | 1,855 | 1,843 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.62 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riehle bearers went from 1,855 to 1,843 (-0.6% change). The surname moved up 388 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,719 to #15,331.
FAQ
Riehle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riehle?
Name Census estimates that about 2,113 living Americans carry the surname Riehle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,212 residents.
How common is Riehle?
Riehle ranks #15,331 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,843 people with the surname Riehle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,113), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Riehle.
Has Riehle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riehle went from 1,855 recorded bearers to 1,843. That is a decrease of 12 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,719 to #15,331.
What does the Census say about the background of Riehle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riehle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Riehle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (1,708 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riehle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Riehle (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 Riehle mean?
A German surname possibly deriving from the word "rille" meaning "groove" or "channel". 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 Riehle (0.62 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 are called Riehle?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Riehle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.