2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Riekenberg
A German locational surname derived from a place name meaning "rich mountain stream".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Riekenberg. 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 Riekenberg 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 Riekenberg 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 Riekenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riekenberg
The surname Riekenberg originates from Germany, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Riekenberg, which may have referred to a town, village, or a specific geographical feature.
One of the earliest records of the name Riekenberg can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already established and in use during that time period.
The name Riekenberg is potentially derived from the Old German words "riec," meaning "brook" or "stream," and "berg," meaning "hill" or "mountain." This combination could indicate that the name originated from a settlement located near a brook or stream in a hilly or mountainous area.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Hans Riekenberg was mentioned in the town records of Lübeck, a city in northern Germany. He was a merchant and a member of the local guild, indicating the family's involvement in trade and commerce during that era.
Another historical figure bearing the name Riekenberg was Johann Riekenberg, who lived in the 16th century and was a renowned scholar and theologian. He studied at the University of Wittenberg and later became a professor of theology at the University of Rostock.
In the 17th century, the Riekenberg family was recorded as landowners in the region of Westphalia, with several members holding positions of prominence in local governance and military affairs.
The name Riekenberg has also been associated with various place names and locations across Germany, such as Riekenberg in Lower Saxony, a small village that may have been the original source of the surname.
Throughout history, several other notable individuals have carried the surname Riekenberg, including:
1. Wilhelm Riekenberg (1830-1902), a German painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes.
2. Otto Riekenberg (1842-1917), a German engineer and inventor, credited with developing early prototypes of the internal combustion engine.
3. Margarete Riekenberg (1876-1954), a German writer and novelist who wrote under the pen name Margarete Böhme.
4. Heinrich Riekenberg (1886-1961), a German architect and urban planner, known for his work in the reconstruction of cities after World War II.
5. Günther Riekenberg (1913-1994), a German military officer who served in the Wehrmacht during World War II and later became a prominent businessman.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riekenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Riekenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Riekenberg 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 Riekenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 100
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riekenberg
Riekenberg 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-12 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,067 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,736 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 20,067 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 5,736 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 Riekenberg 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 | #147,253 | #152,989 | -3.9% |
| Count | 112 | 105 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riekenberg bearers went from 112 to 105 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 5,736 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #152,989.
FAQ
Riekenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riekenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Riekenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Riekenberg?
Riekenberg 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 Riekenberg. 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 Riekenberg.
Has Riekenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riekenberg went from 112 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Riekenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riekenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Riekenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riekenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Riekenberg (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 Riekenberg mean?
A German locational surname derived from a place name meaning "rich mountain stream". 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 Riekenberg (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 Riekenberg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.