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

Riffe, 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 Riffe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riffe in America

Riffe is the 10450th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riffe surname appeared 3,078 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 Riffe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riffe 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 Riffe

The surname RIFFE originated in Germany and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "rif" or "riffe," which means "a ridge" or "a bank." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a ridge or bank.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RIFFE surname can be found in the Werdenhagen Records, a collection of medieval German manuscripts from the 13th century. These records mention a "Johannes Riffe" who lived in the town of Werdenhagen in the year 1286.

The RIFFE name also appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval Saxon records from the 14th century. This document references a "Henricus Riffe" who was a landowner in the town of Meissen in the year 1342.

In the 16th century, the RIFFE surname was found in various parts of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. One notable individual from this era was Hans RIFFE, a merchant from Nuremberg who was born in 1512 and died in 1587.

As the RIFFE family spread across Europe, the name evolved into different spellings and variations. For example, in France, the name became RIFFÉ, while in England, it took the form of RIFF or RIFFE.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RIFFE surname in England can be found in the Parish Records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, which mention a "William Riffe" who was baptized in 1624.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the RIFFE surname. One example is Johann RIFFE, a German composer and organist who lived from 1665 to 1725. Another is William RIFFE, an English poet and playwright who was born in 1732 and died in 1810.

In the 19th century, the RIFFE surname was found in various parts of the United States, likely due to immigration from Europe. One notable American with this surname was James RIFFE, a Civil War veteran and politician from Ohio who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1881.

Another important figure was Charles RIFFE, an American businessman and philanthropist from West Virginia who lived from 1874 to 1948. He founded the RIFFE Coal Company and was instrumental in the development of the coal mining industry in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riffe

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

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

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

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