2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Rimple
A surname potentially derived from a geographical location or feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Rimple. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rimple 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Rimple in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rimple, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Hispanic (9.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rimple
The surname "RIMPLE" is an English surname that originated in the northern counties of England during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "rimpel," which means "wrinkle" or "crease," suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a wrinkled or creased appearance.
The earliest recorded instances of the name "RIMPLE" can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in various local records and tax rolls. One notable example is the mention of a John Rimple in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1285.
In the 14th century, the name "RIMPLE" appeared in the Subsidy Rolls for Westmorland, where a Richard Rympel was recorded as a taxpayer in 1332. This variation in spelling, "Rympel," was not uncommon during that time, as surnames were often spelled phonetically.
The name "RIMPLE" has also been linked to certain place names in northern England, such as Rimple Hill in Cumbria and Rimple Beck in North Yorkshire. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the surname or vice versa.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname "RIMPLE" was Sir John Rimple (c. 1350 - 1412), a knight and landowner from Lancashire. He was mentioned in the Chancery Proceedings of the time and was involved in several legal disputes over land ownership.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Rimple (c. 1495 - 1562), a merchant and alderman from York. He was recorded in the city's records as a prominent citizen and served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1549.
In the 17th century, William Rimple (1632 - 1708) was a renowned clockmaker from Sunderland. His clocks and timepieces were highly sought after and can be found in various museums and private collections today.
During the 18th century, the name "RIMPLE" appeared in the records of the East India Company. Robert Rimple (1725 - 1792) was a captain in the Company's maritime service and played a role in expanding British trade in the Indian Ocean region.
Finally, in the 19th century, Elizabeth Rimple (1818 - 1897) was a prominent educator and advocate for women's education. She founded several schools for girls in Lancashire and was instrumental in promoting equal educational opportunities for women in that era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rimple
Among Census respondents with the surname Rimple, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Hispanic (9.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Rimple 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 Rimple surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.0% · 62
- Black or African American20.0% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 10
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rimple
Rimple appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,723 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 6,723 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 Rimple 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 | #159,712 | #152,989 | 4.2% |
| Count | 101 | 105 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rimple bearers went from 101 to 105 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 6,723 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,989.
FAQ
Rimple surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rimple?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Rimple. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Rimple?
Rimple ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Rimple. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rimple.
Has Rimple become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rimple went from 101 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 4 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Rimple?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rimple, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Hispanic (9.5%). 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 Rimple in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.0% (62 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rimple appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.0%), Black (20.0%), Hispanic (9.5%). 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 Rimple (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 Rimple mean?
A surname potentially derived from a geographical location or feature. 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 Rimple (0.04 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 are called Rimple?
See how many people have the last name Rimple on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.