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

Risk, 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 Risk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Risk in America

Risk is the 17406th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Risk surname appeared 1,621 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 Risk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Risk 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 Risk

The surname RISK originated in Germany, where it first appeared in the late 13th century. It is derived from the German word "risch," which means "rush" or "reed." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a reed-covered marsh or body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname RISK can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Brandenburg region of Germany. In this text, a man named Johannes Risch is mentioned in a record from the year 1290.

During the Middle Ages, the surname RISK was primarily concentrated in the regions of Brandenburg and Saxony, with some instances also appearing in Silesia and East Prussia. Various spellings of the name, such as Risch, Rische, and Risscher, were common during this time.

In the 16th century, the surname RISK began to spread more widely across Germany and neighboring regions. One notable individual bearing this name was Johann RISK, a Protestant theologian born in Saxony in 1537. He was a prominent figure in the Lutheran Reformation and authored several theological works.

Another historical figure with the surname RISK was Hans RISK, a German merchant and explorer who lived from 1565 to 1628. He was among the first Europeans to establish trade relations with the Inuit peoples of Greenland and is credited with bringing back valuable information about their culture and way of life.

In the 18th century, the RISK surname found its way to North America, with some of the earliest recorded instances appearing in Pennsylvania and other German-settled areas. One individual of note was Johann Michael RISK, a Hessian soldier who fought for the British during the American Revolutionary War. He was captured at the Battle of Trenton in 1776 and later settled in Pennsylvania after being released.

Another notable bearer of the RISK surname was Friedrich Wilhelm RISK, a German-born artist and engraver who lived from 1777 to 1857. He is best known for his intricate etchings and engravings depicting landscapes and architecture, many of which can be found in museums across Europe.

Throughout its history, the surname RISK has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Rischau (now Rzyszów) in Poland, and Rischingen (now Rischtingen) in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. These places may have served as the ancestral homes of different RISK family lines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Risk

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

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

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

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