2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Rischer
A surname derived from the German risch, meaning "rush" or "reed."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Rischer. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rischer 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Rischer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rischer, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.4%. The next largest groups are Black (43.8%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rischer
The surname Rischer originates from Germany, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "rischer," meaning "a brave or courageous person." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals known for their bravery or valor.
Rischer is thought to have first appeared in the town of Rüdesheim, located in the Rheingau region of Germany. The earliest documented reference to the name can be found in the church records of Rüdesheim, where a Johannes Rischer was mentioned in the year 1598.
In the 17th century, the name Rischer began to spread to other parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Saxony and Bavaria. One notable individual from this period was Hans Rischer, a prominent merchant from Dresden, who was born in 1632 and died in 1708.
As the name continued to evolve, variations in spelling emerged, such as Rischer, Rischer, and Rischer. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.
In the 18th century, the Rischer surname gained some prominence with the birth of Johann Christoph Rischer, a German composer and organist, who was born in 1700 and died in 1767. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
Another notable figure from this era was Friedrich Wilhelm Rischer, a German philosopher and theologian, who was born in 1744 and died in 1815. He was known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy, which were influential in academic circles of the time.
As people with the surname Rischer migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond, the name continued to spread. One such individual was Karl Rischer, a German-American engineer who lived from 1842 to 1912. He was instrumental in the construction of several notable bridges and infrastructure projects in the United States.
Throughout its history, the surname Rischer has maintained a strong presence in Germany, as well as in the German diaspora communities around the world. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark on various fields, including music, philosophy, and engineering.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rischer
Among Census respondents with the surname Rischer, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.4%. The next largest groups are Black (43.8%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Rischer 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 Rischer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.4% · 61
- Black or African American43.8% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rischer
Rischer 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
#118,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+13 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,477 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-25 bearers (-17.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,456 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,853 | 146 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 1,477 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-17.1%) | Down 22,456 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 Rischer 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 | #118,853 | #141,309 | -18.9% |
| Count | 146 | 121 | -17.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rischer bearers went from 146 to 121 (-17.1% change). The surname moved down 22,456 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,853 to #141,309.
FAQ
Rischer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rischer?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Rischer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Rischer?
Rischer ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Rischer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Rischer.
Has Rischer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rischer went from 146 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 25 (-17.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,853 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Rischer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rischer, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.4%. The next largest groups are Black (43.8%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Rischer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.4% (61 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rischer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.4%), Black (43.8%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Rischer (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 Rischer mean?
A surname derived from the German risch, meaning "rush" or "reed." 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 Rischer (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 Americans have the surname Rischer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.