2000
#9,138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.22
Rare Last name
Rimmer
An English occupational surname for one who made or repaired rims for wheels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,642 Americans carry the last name Rimmer. That puts it at #9,749 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,112 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rimmer 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 Rimmer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 94,112
Census rank
#9,749
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,176 bearers of the surname Rimmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9749th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rimmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rimmer
The surname Rimmer is believed to have originated in England in the late medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word 'rima' meaning 'rim' or 'edge'. It was initially an occupational name for a person who lived or worked near the edge or border of a town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rimmer can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Rymor'. This suggests that the name was already in use in parts of England during the 11th century.
During the 13th century, the name began to appear in various records and documents across different regions of England, with spellings such as 'Rymor', 'Rymour', and 'Rymmer'. These variations likely reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
In the 14th century, the name Rimmer was associated with several place names in England, including Rimmer's Croft in Lancashire and Rimmer's Lane in Cheshire. This indicates that the name had become well-established and linked to specific locations.
One notable historical figure with the surname Rimmer was William Rimmer (1816-1879), an American painter and sculptor born in Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England. He is renowned for his works depicting historical and mythological themes.
Another notable individual was Alfred Rimmer (1829-1893), an English artist and art critic who served as the curator of the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester for over 30 years.
In the 19th century, the name Rimmer was also associated with James Rimmer (1823-1907), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Liverpool and the surrounding areas.
Edith Rimmer (1887-1986) was a British author and playwright known for her novels and plays set in the industrial towns of northern England, providing insights into working-class life during that era.
Finally, one of the more recent notable figures with the surname Rimmer was Chris Rimmer (1936-2022), a British musician and composer who played an influential role in the development of electronic music in the UK.
These examples demonstrate the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals with the surname Rimmer throughout history, spanning various fields such as art, architecture, literature, and music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rimmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Rimmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rimmer 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 Rimmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.5% · 2,333
- Black or African American17.6% · 559
- Two or more races5.0% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rimmer
Rimmer 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
#9,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,426
+144 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 353 places
2020
#9,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,176
-250 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 258 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,138 | 3,282 | 1.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,491 | 3,426 | 1.16 | +144 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 353 places |
| 2020 | #9,749 | 3,176 | 1.06 | -250 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 258 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 Rimmer 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 | #9,491 | #9,749 | -2.7% |
| Count | 3,426 | 3,176 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.06 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rimmer bearers went from 3,426 to 3,176 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 258 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,491 to #9,749.
FAQ
Rimmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rimmer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,642 living Americans carry the surname Rimmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,112 residents.
How common is Rimmer?
Rimmer ranks #9,749 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 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 3,176 people with the surname Rimmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,642), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 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 Rimmer.
Has Rimmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rimmer went from 3,426 recorded bearers to 3,176. That is a decrease of 250 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,491 to #9,749.
What does the Census say about the background of Rimmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rimmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Rimmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (2,333 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rimmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.5%), Black (17.6%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Rimmer (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 Rimmer mean?
An English occupational surname for one who made or repaired rims for wheels. 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 Rimmer (1.06 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 Americans have the surname Rimmer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.