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

Riner, 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 Riner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riner in America

Riner is the 10765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riner surname appeared 2,963 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 Riner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riner 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 Riner

The surname RINER has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, located in the western part of Germany. The name is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "rinne," which means "groove" or "channel," possibly referring to someone who lived near a stream or watercourse.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RINER surname can be found in the Würzburg census records of 1295, where a certain Johannes Riner is listed as a resident of the city. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Hans Riner (c. 1420-1490) was a master builder and architect who was responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in the city of Nuremberg. His work is considered a significant contribution to the architectural heritage of the region.

The RINER surname also appears in various historical documents from other parts of Germany, such as the town records of Erfurt from the 16th century, where a family by the name of Riner is mentioned as landowners.

Moving into the 17th century, one of the most prominent individuals bearing the RINER surname was Johann Riner (1590-1668), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher. He served as a professor at the University of Jena and was known for his works on logic and metaphysics.

In the 19th century, a notable figure was Wilhelm Riner (1828-1901), a German painter and illustrator who was particularly renowned for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting rural life in Germany.

As the surname spread beyond its original region, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Reiner, Reinert, and Rhiner, which can be found in historical records from different parts of Europe and even in the United States, where German immigrants settled.

Overall, the RINER surname has a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, with a notable presence in various fields, including architecture, theology, philosophy, and the arts, throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riner

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!