2000
#20,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,236
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Rieth
Habitational name from any of several places in Germany named with a Germanic word meaning "marshy ground".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,264 Americans carry the last name Rieth. That puts it at #23,737 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 271,166 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rieth 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
1.3K
1 in 271,166
Census rank
#23,737
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,102 bearers of the surname Rieth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23737th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rieth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rieth can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Franconia, which is in present-day northern Bavaria.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rieth
Among Census respondents with the surname Rieth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rieth 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 Rieth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 1,019
- Two or more races3.4% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 9
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rieth
Rieth 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
#17,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,578
+342 bearers (+27.7%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Up 2,320 places
2020
#23,737
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,102
-476 bearers (-30.2%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Down 5,985 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,072 | 1,236 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,752 | 1,578 | 0.53 | +342 bearers (+27.7%) | Up 2,320 places |
| 2020 | #23,737 | 1,102 | 0.37 | -476 bearers (-30.2%) | Down 5,985 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 Rieth 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 | #17,752 | #23,737 | -33.7% |
| Count | 1,578 | 1,102 | -30.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.53 | 0.37 | -30.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rieth bearers went from 1,578 to 1,102 (-30.2% change). The surname moved down 5,985 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,752 to #23,737.
FAQ
Rieth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rieth?
Name Census estimates that about 1,264 living Americans carry the surname Rieth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 271,166 residents.
How common is Rieth?
Rieth ranks #23,737 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.37 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 1,102 people with the surname Rieth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,264), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.37 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 Rieth.
Has Rieth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rieth went from 1,578 recorded bearers to 1,102. That is a decrease of 476 (-30.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,752 to #23,737.
What does the Census say about the background of Rieth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rieth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Rieth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (1,019 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rieth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Rieth (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 Rieth mean?
Habitational name from any of several places in Germany named with a Germanic word meaning "marshy ground". 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 Rieth (0.37 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 Rieth?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.