2000
#10,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,753
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.02
Rare Last name
Ritenour
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Germany, likely meaning "knight's meadow" or "rider's meadow."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,082 Americans carry the last name Ritenour. That puts it at #11,244 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ritenour 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
3.1K
1 in 111,212
Census rank
#11,244
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,688 bearers of the surname Ritenour in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11244th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritenour, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ritenour
The surname Ritenour has its origins in the German language, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. It is believed to have derived from the German words "Ritter" meaning "knight" and "Hauer" meaning "hewer" or "woodcutter," suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals who worked as foresters or woodcutters in the service of knights or nobility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ritenour can be found in the German church records from the town of Amberg, Bavaria, dating back to the late 1500s. The name appears to have been widely used in the surrounding regions of Franconia and Swabia, with variations in spelling such as Rittnauer, Rittenhauer, and Rittner.
In the 17th century, the name Ritenour began to appear in various historical records across Europe, including the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), where several individuals bearing the name were documented as soldiers and mercenaries. Notably, Johann Ritenour, born in 1625 in Nuremberg, served as a cavalry officer during the latter stages of the war.
As the Ritenour family spread throughout Europe, some members eventually settled in the American colonies in the early 18th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America is Jacob Ritenour, who arrived in Pennsylvania from Germany in 1732.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname Ritenour. Johann Michael Ritenour (1730-1802), a German-born artist and engraver, was renowned for his intricate engravings of landscapes and architectural works. William Ritenour (1770-1854), an American frontiersman and explorer, played a significant role in the westward expansion of the United States, participating in several expeditions and establishing settlements in the Ohio Valley region.
Other prominent figures include Anna Ritenour (1855-1932), a prominent American educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded several schools and institutions focused on advancing educational opportunities for women. John Ritenour (1891-1969), an American businessman and philanthropist, made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and institutions.
The Ritenour surname has also been associated with several place names, particularly in the United States, such as Ritenour, Pennsylvania, and Ritenour School District in St. Louis, Missouri, further solidifying its historical significance and connection to specific geographical locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ritenour
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritenour, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ritenour 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 Ritenour surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 2,517
- Two or more races3.0% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ritenour
Ritenour 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
#11,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,726
-27 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 872 places
2020
#11,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,688
-38 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 293 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,665 | 2,753 | 1.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,537 | 2,726 | 0.92 | -27 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 872 places |
| 2020 | #11,244 | 2,688 | 0.90 | -38 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 293 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 Ritenour 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 | #11,537 | #11,244 | 2.5% |
| Count | 2,726 | 2,688 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.92 | 0.90 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ritenour bearers went from 2,726 to 2,688 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 293 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,537 to #11,244.
FAQ
Ritenour surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ritenour?
Name Census estimates that about 3,082 living Americans carry the surname Ritenour. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,212 residents.
How common is Ritenour?
Ritenour ranks #11,244 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 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 2,688 people with the surname Ritenour. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,082), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 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 Ritenour.
Has Ritenour become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ritenour went from 2,726 recorded bearers to 2,688. That is a decrease of 38 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,537 to #11,244.
What does the Census say about the background of Ritenour?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritenour, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Ritenour in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (2,517 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ritenour appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Ritenour (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 Ritenour mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Germany, likely meaning "knight's meadow" or "rider's meadow." 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 Ritenour (0.90 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 Ritenour?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.