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

Ristau, 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 Ristau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ristau in America

Ristau is the 18448th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ristau surname appeared 1,500 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 Ristau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ristau 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 Ristau

The surname Ristau originates from Germany, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Rist," meaning "ridge" or "elevation," combined with the suffix "-au," indicating a settlement or habitation. This suggests that the name likely referred to individuals who lived near or on a ridge or elevated area.

The earliest known record of the Ristau name dates back to the 13th century in the Prussian region of Germany. It appears in various historical documents and records from that time period, often associated with landowners or prominent families in rural areas.

In the 15th century, a notable individual named Johannes Ristau was mentioned in the city records of Danzig (modern-day Gdansk, Poland) as a respected merchant and landowner. His descendants continued to use the Ristau surname throughout the following centuries.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Ristau was found in various parts of northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Pomerania, Mecklenburg, and Brandenburg. Some variations in spelling, such as Ristow and Rystau, were also observed in historical records from this period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Ristau surname was Heinrich Ristau, a Lutheran pastor born in 1598 in the town of Pritzwalk, Brandenburg. He played a significant role in the reformation movement and authored several theological works.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence when Johann Ristau (1715-1789), a German philosopher and educator, published his influential works on ethics and moral philosophy. He served as a professor at the University of Halle and was widely respected in academic circles.

Another notable figure was Friedrich Ristau (1810-1872), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Prussian Wars of the mid-19th century. He rose to the rank of General and was awarded several honors for his service.

The 19th century also saw the birth of Gustav Ristau (1825-1901), a German architect and urban planner who designed several prominent buildings and contributed to the development of modern urban planning principles.

Mathilde Ristau (1868-1945) was a German educator and women's rights activist who campaigned for equal access to education and advocated for the advancement of women in various fields.

As the Ristau surname spread across Germany and beyond, it was carried by individuals who migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to different continents, contributing to its global distribution today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ristau

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!