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

Riker, 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 Riker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riker in America

Riker is the 9271st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riker surname appeared 3,512 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 Riker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riker 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 Riker

The surname Riker is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "richer," meaning "judge" or "ruler." It emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, in various regions of present-day Germany.

The name is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, initially given to individuals who held judicial or administrative positions in local communities. It may have also been used to denote someone who held a position of authority or wealth.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the late 15th century, in the form of "Ryker" or "Rycker," found in historical documents from the region of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. This variant spelling suggests a possible connection to the town of Rike or Rike-am-Berge, located in present-day Lower Saxony.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various German church records and tax registers, such as the Kirchenbücher and Steuerlisten, often spelled as "Ricker" or "Riker." During this period, several notable individuals bore the surname, including Johann Riker (1522-1587), a Lutheran theologian and church reformer from Württemberg.

As the name spread across Europe, it took on various local spellings and adaptations. For instance, in the Netherlands, the name was sometimes rendered as "Rijker" or "Rijckers," while in parts of Switzerland, it was spelled as "Rücker" or "Rüker."

Among the notable historical figures with the Riker surname are:

1. Abraham Riker (1642-1719), a Dutch-American settler and landowner in what is now New York City.
2. Richard Riker (1773-1842), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 26th Mayor of New York City from 1804 to 1807.
3. John Riker (1813-1892), a German-American engineer and industrialist, known for his contributions to the development of iron and steel manufacturing in Pennsylvania.
4. Andrew Riker (1822-1900), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg.
5. Henrietta Riker (1849-1928), an American educator and pioneer in the field of physical education for women, who founded the Riker Collegiate Institute in New York City.

While the surname Riker has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has since spread and taken on various forms across different cultures and countries, reflecting the diverse histories and migrations of families bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riker

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

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

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

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