2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rineman
An occupational surname derived from the German word "rin" meaning a grove, suggesting an occupation related to forestry or woodlands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Rineman. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rineman 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Rineman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rineman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rineman
The surname Rineman has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "rein," meaning "pure" or "clean," and "mann," which means "man." The name may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a reputation for purity or cleanliness.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rineman can be found in the historical records of the city of Cologne in 1542, where a certain Hans Rineman was mentioned as a resident. In the 17th century, the name appeared in various church records and legal documents across German states like Bavaria and Saxony.
The Rineman surname has also been found in various spellings throughout history, such as Reineman, Reinmann, and Rheinmann. These variations are likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during those times.
Notably, in the late 18th century, a prominent figure named Johann Rineman (1733-1806) was a respected philosopher and academic in the city of Jena, known for his contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy.
Another notable individual with the surname Rineman was Friedrich Rineman (1790-1867), a German-born American author and journalist who emigrated to the United States in the early 19th century. He was known for his works on American politics and society.
Moving into the 19th century, a certain Wilhelm Rineman (1822-1897) was a successful industrialist and businessman in the city of Stuttgart, where he established a renowned manufacturing company that produced household goods and appliances.
In the early 20th century, a notable figure named Ernst Rineman (1888-1952) was a respected architect and urban planner who designed several landmark buildings and public spaces in Berlin and other German cities.
Another individual of note was Gertrude Rineman (1901-1975), a German-born American artist and painter who gained recognition for her vibrant landscape paintings and portraits, many of which are now part of prestigious art collections across the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rineman
Among Census respondents with the surname Rineman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rineman 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 Rineman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 105
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rineman
Rineman 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,220 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,346 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,220 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,346 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 Rineman 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 | #143,149 | #146,495 | -2.3% |
| Count | 116 | 114 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rineman bearers went from 116 to 114 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,346 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #146,495.
FAQ
Rineman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rineman?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Rineman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Rineman?
Rineman ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Rineman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Rineman.
Has Rineman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rineman went from 116 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Rineman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rineman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Rineman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rineman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Rineman (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 Rineman mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "rin" meaning a grove, suggesting an occupation related to forestry or woodlands. 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 Rineman (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 share the surname Rineman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.