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

Ritten, 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 Ritten surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ritten in America

Ritten is the 88336th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ritten surname appeared 210 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ritten.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ritten 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 Ritten

The surname RITTEN is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word "ritten," which means "to ride" or "to journey on horseback." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive name to someone who worked as a rider, messenger, or courier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname RITTEN can be found in the Bavarian town records of Regensburg, dating back to the 13th century. In these records, a certain "Heinrich Ritten" is mentioned as a landowner and farmer in the year 1274.

The RITTEN surname also appears in various ecclesiastical records from the 15th and 16th centuries, indicating its prevalence among the German nobility and clergy. For instance, a certain "Johann Ritten" is listed as a canon in the Freising Diocese in 1492.

During the 16th century, the RITTEN name gained prominence with the birth of Hans Ritten (1516-1580), a renowned German painter and engraver. His works, which include religious paintings and portraits, can still be found in various museums and galleries across Europe.

Another notable figure with the RITTEN surname was Johann Ritten (1672-1748), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony. His compositions, which include sacred works and instrumental pieces, were highly regarded during his time.

In the 18th century, the RITTEN name was associated with the German philosopher and writer, Friedrich Ritten (1723-1798). He was known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy, which were widely read and debated in academic circles.

As the centuries passed, the RITTEN surname continued to spread across various regions of Germany, and eventually beyond, as families migrated to other parts of Europe and the world. However, the name's roots remain firmly grounded in the historical regions of Bavaria and the surrounding areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ritten

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

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

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

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