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

Risch, 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 Risch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Risch in America

Risch is the 13597th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Risch surname appeared 2,229 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 Risch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Risch 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 Risch

The surname RISCH is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Germanic word "risch," which means "reed" or "rush," referring to the tall grass-like plants found in wetlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RISCH can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dated around the 13th century. In this record, a person named "Heinricus Risch" is mentioned as a landowner in the region.

The RISCH surname has also been associated with several historical figures throughout the centuries. One notable example is Johannes Risch, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1499 to 1564. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation movement in Germany.

In the 16th century, there are records of a family named RISCH residing in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the Franconian region of Bavaria. This family was involved in the local crafts and trade guilds, contributing to the town's economic and cultural development.

Another prominent individual bearing the RISCH surname was Johann Jakob Risch, a German musician and composer who lived from 1662 to 1707. He was known for his contributions to the development of the Baroque music style and served as the court composer for the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels.

The RISCH surname has also been associated with various place names and their older spellings. For instance, the town of Rischau in Saxony, Germany, was formerly known as "Risch" in historical documents, suggesting a potential connection between the surname and the place name.

Throughout history, several other notable individuals have borne the RISCH surname, including:

1. Georg Risch (1592-1642), a German physician and botanist known for his contributions to the study of medicinal plants.
2. Johann Georg Risch (1697-1768), a German architect and military engineer who designed fortifications and buildings in various European cities.
3. Friedrich Risch (1804-1857), a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and cityscapes.
4. Ernst Risch (1901-1991), a Swiss classical philologist and linguist who specialized in Ancient Greek literature and language.
5. Ulrich Risch (born 1947), a German mathematician and computer scientist known for his work in theoretical computer science and mathematical logic.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Risch

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

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

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

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