Ringwald
An occupational German surname indicating someone who lived near a circular rampart or fortification.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 891 Americans carry the last name Ringwald. That puts it at #30,509 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 384,685 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ringwald surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
891
1 in 384,685
Census rank
#30,509
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
765
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 765 bearers of the surname Ringwald in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30509th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ringwald, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ringwald
The surname Ringwald originates from Germany, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German words "rinc" meaning "ring" and "walt" meaning "forest" or "wood." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived near a ring-shaped forest or a clearing in the woods.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Ringwald can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dated around 1270. This document mentions a certain "Heinricus Ringwald" from the town of Halberstadt.
Another early reference to the name Ringwald is in the Heidelberg University matriculation records from 1456, where a student named "Johannes Ringwald" is listed as enrolling in that year.
In the 16th century, there was a notable theologian and reformer named Philipp Ringwald (1499-1557) who was a supporter of Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation. He served as a preacher in Saxony and was instrumental in introducing the Reformation to the region.
During the 17th century, the Ringwald name appeared in various records from the German states of Baden and Württemberg. In 1683, a man named Johann Ringwald was recorded as a landowner in the village of Grunbach, near Heidelberg.
Another notable bearer of the Ringwald name was the 19th-century German painter and lithographer, Johann Baptist Ringwald (1789-1857), who was known for his landscapes and genre scenes.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several Ringwalds emigrated from Germany to the United States, including the ancestors of the American actress, Molly Ringwald (born 1968), who rose to fame in the 1980s for her roles in popular films like "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ringwald
Among Census respondents with the surname Ringwald, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ringwald bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Ringwald surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4%
- Hispanic or Latino1.6%
- Two or more races1.3%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Ringwald surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #30,509 | #30,509 | 0.0% |
| Count | 765 | 765 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Ringwald bearers went from 765 to 765 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #30,509 to #30,509.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ringwald
FAQ
Ringwald surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Ringwald?
The surname Ringwald holds position #30,509 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 891 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Ringwald surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ringwald, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.