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

Rieth, 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 Rieth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rieth in America

Rieth is the 17752nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rieth surname appeared 1,578 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rieth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rieth 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 Rieth

The surname Rieth has its origins in the German language, and it is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, located in modern-day Germany. This surname dates back to the medieval period, around the 12th to 14th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rieth can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Franconia, which is in present-day northern Bavaria. In this collection, the name appears as "Rieth" in reference to individuals from the village of the same name.

The name Rieth is believed to be derived from the Old German word "riet," which means "reed" or "marsh." This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic name, referring to individuals who lived near or in an area with reeds or marshlands. Alternatively, it could also be an occupational name, referring to those who worked with reeds or in reed-related industries.

During the medieval period, the surname Rieth appeared in various records and documents across the region. For instance, in 1324, a document from the town of Bamberg mentions a certain "Konrad Rieth," indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in the area.

One of the notable individuals with the surname Rieth was Johann Rieth (1490-1562), a German physician and scholar from Nuremberg. He was renowned for his contributions to the field of medicine and his writings on various medical topics.

Another individual of note was Hans Rieth (1551-1607), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg. He was known for his religious paintings and engravings, which were influenced by the Renaissance style of the time.

In the 17th century, a certain Gottfried Rieth (1616-1667) was a prominent German composer and organist. He served as the court organist in Halle, Germany, and is remembered for his compositions for the organ and other instrumental works.

During the 18th century, Johann Georg Rieth (1701-1768) was a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in the city of Dresden, including the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady).

In the 19th century, Carl Rieth (1819-1892) was a German politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) and was known for his advocacy of liberal policies and reforms.

Throughout its history, the surname Rieth has been associated with various professions, including medicine, arts, music, architecture, and politics. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Bavaria, the name has since spread across Germany and other parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rieth

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

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

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

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