2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Riestenberg
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "a large ridge".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Riestenberg. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riestenberg 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Riestenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riestenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riestenberg
The surname Riestenberg originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have derived from the German words "Ried" and "Berg," which translate to "reed" and "mountain" or "hill," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where reeds grew on a hillside or near a mountainous region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Riestenberg surname can be found in the German town of Balve, located in the region of Westphalia. In the 16th century, a family bearing this name resided in the area, and their descendants can be traced through various church and civil records.
Another notable early reference to the Riestenberg name is found in the town of Paderborn, also in Westphalia. Here, a family with the surname Riestenberg held land and property during the 17th century, indicating their prominence in the local community.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the Riestenberg surname is Johann Riestenberg, born in 1624 in Balve. He was a farmer and landowner, contributing to the local agricultural economy. Another noteworthy figure was Heinrich Riestenberg, born in 1678 in Paderborn, who served as a respected magistrate in the town's judicial system.
In the 18th century, the Riestenberg name gained further prominence with the birth of Friedrich Riestenberg in 1732 in Balve. He became a renowned scholar and educator, authoring several influential works on philosophy and pedagogy. His contributions to the field of education earned him recognition throughout Germany.
Moving into the 19th century, Hans Riestenberg, born in 1812 in Paderborn, was a prominent businessman and industrialist. He established successful textile manufacturing operations, contributing to the region's economic growth and development.
Throughout its history, the Riestenberg surname has maintained a strong presence in various parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Westphalia and Rhineland. While the name may have evolved slightly in spelling or pronunciation over time, its German roots and connection to geographical features remain evident.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riestenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Riestenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Riestenberg 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 Riestenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riestenberg
Riestenberg 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+9 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 749 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-9 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 749 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 10,407 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 Riestenberg 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 | #133,863 | #144,270 | -7.8% |
| Count | 126 | 117 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riestenberg bearers went from 126 to 117 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 10,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #144,270.
FAQ
Riestenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riestenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Riestenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Riestenberg?
Riestenberg ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Riestenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Riestenberg.
Has Riestenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riestenberg went from 126 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Riestenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riestenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Riestenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riestenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Hispanic (0.9%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Riestenberg (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 Riestenberg mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "a large ridge". 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 Riestenberg (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 Riestenberg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.