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

Ries, 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 Ries surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ries in America

Ries is the 4857th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ries surname appeared 7,258 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Ries.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ries 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 Ries

The surname RIES has its roots in the German language, originating in the central regions of Germany during the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Ries," which referred to a type of marshy meadow or low-lying area near a river or stream.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in historical records from the 15th century, where it appears as a descriptive surname for individuals who lived or worked near such marshy areas. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia, where these types of landscapes were common.

In the 16th century, the RIES surname began to appear in various official documents and records, such as church registers and municipal records. One notable example is Johann RIES, a farmer and landowner who was born in the village of Großheubach, Bavaria, in 1537 and died in 1612.

As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, it underwent slight variations in spelling, with forms like "Riess," "Rieß," and "Ries" being used interchangeably. Some of these variations were also influenced by local dialects and regional pronunciation differences.

In the 17th century, the RIES name gained prominence with the birth of Johann Friedrich RIES, a renowned German composer and organist who lived from 1605 to 1675. He is considered one of the most influential figures in the development of early Baroque music in Germany.

Another notable individual with the RIES surname was Friedrich Wilhelm RIES, a German painter and engraver who was born in 1838 and died in 1892. His works, which often depicted landscapes and architectural scenes, are highly regarded and can be found in various museums across Europe.

During the 19th century, as migration from Germany to other parts of the world increased, the RIES surname began to spread internationally. One such example is Ferdinand RIES, a German-born composer and pianist who lived from 1784 to 1838 and spent a significant portion of his career in England, where he was highly influential in the development of early Romantic piano music.

In more recent times, the RIES surname has been associated with individuals from various fields, including the American politician and diplomat William RIES, who served as the United States Ambassador to Greece from 1977 to 1981, and the German-born American architect and designer Ludwig RIES, who was known for his contributions to the development of modernist architecture in the United States during the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ries

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

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

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

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