2000
#15,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,735
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.64
Rare Last name
Risser
A location surname derived from the German word for a riser or cliff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,029 Americans carry the last name Risser. That puts it at #15,858 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 168,928 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Risser 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
2.0K
1 in 168,928
Census rank
#15,858
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,769 bearers of the surname Risser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15858th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Risser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Risser
The surname Risser has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "riser," which referred to a person who resided near a steep slope or cliff. The name was particularly prevalent in the southern regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Risser name can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention several families bearing the Risser surname, indicating their presence in the region during that time period.
In the 17th century, the Risser name began to spread across other parts of Europe as a result of migration and trade. Records from this era show individuals with the surname Risser residing in areas such as Switzerland, Alsace (now part of France), and the Netherlands.
Notable individuals who carried the Risser surname throughout history include Johann Risser (1609-1675), a renowned clockmaker from the city of Augsburg, who was renowned for his intricate and precise timepieces. Another prominent figure was Anna Risser (1732-1809), a philanthropist and social reformer from the town of Heidelberg, who established several shelters and orphanages for underprivileged children.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Risser family emigrated to the American colonies, settling in Pennsylvania. One of the earliest recorded Rissers in America was Hans Risser (1725-1803), a farmer and miller from Lancaster County, whose descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States.
Another notable individual was Friedrich Risser (1856-1924), a German-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Chicago and other cities across the Midwest. His most famous work is the historic Risser Building in Chicago, which was completed in 1892 and is considered an excellent example of the Romanesque Revival architectural style.
Throughout the centuries, variations of the Risser surname have emerged, such as Riser, Rissert, and Rissler, reflecting regional dialects and spelling preferences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Old German word "riser" and its association with residing near steep terrain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Risser
Among Census respondents with the surname Risser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Risser 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 Risser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,610
- Two or more races3.9% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 23
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Risser
Risser 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
#15,898
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,829
+94 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 408 places
2020
#15,858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,769
-60 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,490 | 1,735 | 0.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,898 | 1,829 | 0.62 | +94 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 408 places |
| 2020 | #15,858 | 1,769 | 0.59 | -60 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 40 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 Risser 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 | #15,898 | #15,858 | 0.3% |
| Count | 1,829 | 1,769 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.59 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Risser bearers went from 1,829 to 1,769 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,898 to #15,858.
FAQ
Risser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Risser?
Name Census estimates that about 2,029 living Americans carry the surname Risser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 168,928 residents.
How common is Risser?
Risser ranks #15,858 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,769 people with the surname Risser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,029), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Risser.
Has Risser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Risser went from 1,829 recorded bearers to 1,769. That is a decrease of 60 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,898 to #15,858.
What does the Census say about the background of Risser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Risser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) 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 Risser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,610 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Risser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%), 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 Risser (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 Risser mean?
A location surname derived from the German word for a riser or cliff. 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 Risser (0.59 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 Risser?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.