2000
#9,498
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Riffe
Derived from a Middle English term for a person who lived near a steep hill or ridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,282 Americans carry the last name Riffe. That puts it at #10,659 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,435 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riffe 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
3.3K
1 in 104,435
Census rank
#10,659
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,862 bearers of the surname Riffe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10659th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riffe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riffe
Among Census respondents with the surname Riffe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Riffe 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 Riffe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,646
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 97
- Two or more races2.3% · 65
- Black or African American1.3% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riffe
Riffe 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
#10,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,078
-61 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 952 places
2020
#10,659
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,862
-216 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 209 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,498 | 3,139 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,450 | 3,078 | 1.04 | -61 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 952 places |
| 2020 | #10,659 | 2,862 | 0.96 | -216 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 209 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 Riffe 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 | #10,450 | #10,659 | -2.0% |
| Count | 3,078 | 2,862 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 0.96 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riffe bearers went from 3,078 to 2,862 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 209 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,450 to #10,659.
FAQ
Riffe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riffe?
Name Census estimates that about 3,282 living Americans carry the surname Riffe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,435 residents.
How common is Riffe?
Riffe ranks #10,659 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,862 people with the surname Riffe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,282), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Riffe.
Has Riffe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riffe went from 3,078 recorded bearers to 2,862. That is a decrease of 216 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,450 to #10,659.
What does the Census say about the background of Riffe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riffe, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Riffe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,646 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riffe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Riffe (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 Riffe mean?
Derived from a Middle English term for a person who lived near a steep hill or 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 Riffe (0.96 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 Riffe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.