2000
#27,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 828
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Very Rare Last name
Risse
A German habitational surname derived from the topographic word for a crevice or fissure.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 959 Americans carry the last name Risse. That puts it at #30,002 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 357,408 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Risse 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
959
1 in 357,408
Census rank
#30,002
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
836
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 836 bearers of the surname Risse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30002nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Risse, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Risse
The surname Risse has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Low German word "risse," which means "branch" or "twig." It was likely an occupational name given to individuals who worked as basket makers or weavers, as these professions often required the use of twigs and branches in their trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Risse can be found in the town of Rissen, near Hamburg, Germany. Historical documents from the 14th century mention a family with the surname Risse residing in this area, suggesting a potential connection between the name and the place name.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Risse gained prominence in various regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Saxony and Thuringia. Notable individuals from this period include Johannes Risse (1532-1602), a German Lutheran theologian and author, and Hans Risse (1569-1632), a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Leipzig.
As the name spread across Europe, it also took on different spellings and variations, such as Riss, Rissé, and Rissert. One notable figure from this era was Johann Friedrich Risse (1677-1745), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Risse surname continued to be widely found in Germany and other parts of Europe. Johann Georg Risse (1776-1846) was a German landscape painter and etcher, known for his depictions of the Rhine region. Another notable individual was Wilhelm Risse (1802-1880), a German philosopher and educator who played a significant role in the development of educational theory.
As people with the surname Risse migrated to other parts of the world, the name spread to various countries. For example, in the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to Johann Heinrich Risse (1820-1890), a German immigrant who settled in Missouri in the mid-19th century and became a prominent farmer and landowner.
Overall, the surname Risse has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in Germany and a potential connection to occupations involving the use of twigs and branches. Despite its variations in spelling, the name has maintained a notable presence throughout Europe and other regions, carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Risse
Among Census respondents with the surname Risse, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Risse 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 Risse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 731
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 42
- Two or more races4.7% · 39
- Black or African American1.3% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Risse
Risse 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
#28,552
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 835
+7 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 1,139 places
2020
#30,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 836
+1 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 1,450 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,413 | 828 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,552 | 835 | 0.28 | +7 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,139 places |
| 2020 | #30,002 | 836 | 0.28 | +1 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 1,450 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 Risse 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 | #28,552 | #30,002 | -5.1% |
| Count | 835 | 836 | 0.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.28 | -0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Risse bearers went from 835 to 836 (+0.1% change). The surname moved down 1,450 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,552 to #30,002.
FAQ
Risse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Risse?
Name Census estimates that about 959 living Americans carry the surname Risse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 357,408 residents.
How common is Risse?
Risse ranks #30,002 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 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 836 people with the surname Risse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (959), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 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 Risse.
Has Risse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Risse went from 835 recorded bearers to 836. That is an increase of 1 (+0.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,552 to #30,002.
What does the Census say about the background of Risse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Risse, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Risse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (731 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Risse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Risse (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 Risse mean?
A German habitational surname derived from the topographic word for a crevice or fissure. 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 Risse (0.28 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 people have the surname Risse?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.