Ritt
A habitational name for someone from a place named with the German word "riet" meaning "reed."
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 823 Americans carry the last name Ritt. That puts it at #32,834 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 416,469 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ritt surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
823
1 in 416,469
Census rank
#32,834
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
699
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 699 bearers of the surname Ritt in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32834th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ritt
The surname RITT has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "hrîtâ," which means "reed" or "cane." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who lived near reedy areas or marshlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the 12th century. Here, the name appears as "Ritte," referring to a landowner or nobleman in the region of Saxony.
In the 14th century, the name Ritt appeared in various forms, such as "Ritte," "Rytte," and "Ryttere," in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe.
Notably, the Ritt surname can be traced back to the town of Ritterhude, located in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town's name, which translates to "Rider's Hut," may have contributed to the evolution of the surname.
Among the notable individuals bearing the Ritt surname throughout history are:
1. Johannes Ritt (1563-1628), a German Protestant theologian and author from Saxony.
2. Michael Ritt (1778-1836), a German composer and organist from Württemberg.
3. Hans Ritt (1901-1990), an Austrian-American mathematician known for his contributions to algebraic geometry.
4. Martin Ritt (1914-1990), an American film director and actor, best known for his socially conscious films like "Norma Rae" and "Hud."
5. Benita Ritt (born 1953), a German-American artist and sculptor, renowned for her large-scale public installations.
As the name spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Ritte," "Ritter," and "Rytt." Some of these variations may have been influenced by the German word "Ritter," meaning "knight" or "rider," potentially reflecting the occupations or status of certain individuals bearing the name.
While the Ritt surname is most prevalent in Germany, it has also been found in various other European countries, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ritt
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ritt bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Ritt surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.8%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3%
- Hispanic or Latino1.1%
- Two or more races1.0%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Ritt surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #32,834 | #32,834 | 0.0% |
| Count | 699 | 699 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Ritt bearers went from 699 to 699 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #32,834 to #32,834.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ritt
FAQ
Ritt surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Ritt?
The surname Ritt holds position #32,834 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 823 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Ritt surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.3%) and Hispanic (1.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.