2000
#12,634
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,248
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Riles
Derived from a Middle English topographic name for someone who lived near a stream, from the Old English word "rithes."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,701 Americans carry the last name Riles. That puts it at #12,557 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,899 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riles 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Riles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,899
Census rank
#12,557
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,355 bearers of the surname Riles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12557th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.8%. The next largest groups are White (35.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riles
The surname RILES is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the 13th century. The name is thought to derive from the Old English word "ryle," which referred to a small stream or rivulet. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely lived near a small waterway or creek.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RILES surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, dated around 1273, where it appears as "Rille." This variation in spelling was common during that era, as standardized spelling had not yet been established.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "Rylle" and "Ryles," in various historical records and manuscripts. For instance, a John Ryles is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, indicating the widespread presence of the surname across different regions of England.
The RILES surname has also been associated with several place names, including Ryall in Worcestershire and Ryle in Northamptonshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English word "ryle," suggesting a connection between the surname and these geographic locations.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the RILES surname. One such person was Sir John Riles (1525-1584), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was William Riles (1667-1737), a renowned English clockmaker renowned for his innovative timepiece designs.
Other historical figures with the RILES surname include:
1. Thomas Riles (1733-1799), an English botanist and naturalist known for his extensive study of plants native to the British Isles.
2. Mary Riles (1795-1867), a British author and poet who wrote several critically acclaimed works during the Romantic era.
3. James Riles (1842-1918), an American engineer and inventor credited with developing several important innovations in steam engine technology.
4. Elizabeth Riles (1876-1952), a British suffragette and social activist who campaigned tirelessly for women's rights and equality.
5. Henry Riles (1901-1976), an American artist renowned for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in the Midwest.
While the RILES surname may have evolved over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the geographic regions of England where its earliest bearers resided.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riles
Among Census respondents with the surname Riles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.8%. The next largest groups are White (35.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Riles 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 Riles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.8% · 1,337
- White35.8% · 844
- Two or more races4.9% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riles
Riles 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
#13,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,328
+80 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 514 places
2020
#12,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,355
+27 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 591 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,634 | 2,248 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,148 | 2,328 | 0.79 | +80 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 514 places |
| 2020 | #12,557 | 2,355 | 0.79 | +27 bearers (+1.2%) | Up 591 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 Riles 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 | #13,148 | #12,557 | 4.5% |
| Count | 2,328 | 2,355 | 1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.79 | -0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riles bearers went from 2,328 to 2,355 (+1.2% change). The surname moved up 591 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,148 to #12,557.
FAQ
Riles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riles?
Name Census estimates that about 2,701 living Americans carry the surname Riles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,899 residents.
How common is Riles?
Riles ranks #12,557 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,355 people with the surname Riles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,701), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Riles.
Has Riles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riles went from 2,328 recorded bearers to 2,355. That is an increase of 27 (+1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,148 to #12,557.
What does the Census say about the background of Riles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.8%. The next largest groups are White (35.8%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Riles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.8% (1,337 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.8%), White (35.8%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Riles (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 Riles mean?
Derived from a Middle English topographic name for someone who lived near a stream, from the Old English word "rithes." 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 Riles (0.79 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 last name Riles?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Riles, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.