2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Riseling
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "rising ground" or "hill slope".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Riseling. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riseling 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Riseling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riseling, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riseling
The surname RISELING is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and can be traced back to the 8th century in areas that are now part of England. It is believed to derive from the Old English word "rīseling," which referred to a small stream or rivulet. This suggests that the name may have been originally given as a topographic surname to someone who lived near a small stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RISELING appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Riselinge." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land holdings across England and provides valuable insights into the prevalence of surnames during that time.
In the 13th century, the RISELING surname is found in various records from the county of Lincolnshire, particularly in the village of Riselingbury, which may have been named after an early bearer of the name. This village is now known as Riseholme, reflecting the evolution of the place name over time.
Notable historical figures with the RISELING surname include Sir William RISELING (1450-1521), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another noteworthy individual was John RISELING (1608-1674), a renowned clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Chichester.
In the 16th century, the surname RISELING also appeared in records from the county of Yorkshire, where it was occasionally spelled as "Ryseling" or "Rysling." One notable bearer of the name from this region was Thomas RISELING (1567-1642), a successful merchant and landowner who founded a charitable trust that still exists today.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the RISELING surname spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing this name in counties such as Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire. One notable figure from this period was Samuel RISELING (1687-1761), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Throughout its history, the RISELING surname has undergone various spelling variations, including "Riseling," "Ryseling," "Rysling," and "Risling." However, the core meaning and origins of the name have remained consistent, reflecting its Anglo-Saxon roots and connection to small streams or rivulets.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riseling
Among Census respondents with the surname Riseling, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Riseling 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 Riseling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 88
- Two or more races7.4% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Black or African American3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riseling
Riseling 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,714 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-11 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,778 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,714 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 10,778 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 Riseling 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 | #140,157 | #150,935 | -7.7% |
| Count | 119 | 108 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riseling bearers went from 119 to 108 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 10,778 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #150,935.
FAQ
Riseling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riseling?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Riseling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Riseling?
Riseling ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Riseling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Riseling.
Has Riseling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riseling went from 119 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Riseling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riseling, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Riseling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riseling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Two or More Races (7.4%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Riseling (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 Riseling mean?
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "rising ground" or "hill slope". 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 Riseling (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 common is the surname Riseling?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Riseling on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.