2000
#970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,864
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.18
Uncommon Last name
Ritter
An occupational surname referring to a mounted warrior or knight in German-speaking regions.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 36,293 Americans carry the last name Ritter. That puts it at #1,086 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,444 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ritter 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ritter with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
36K
1 in 9,444
Census rank
#1,086
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
32K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 31,649 bearers of the surname Ritter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1086th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritter, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ritter
The surname RITTER is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word 'ritter', meaning 'knight' or 'rider'. It emerged during the medieval period in various regions of Germany, particularly in areas with a strong knightly tradition.
The name RITTER can be traced back to the 12th century, when it was used to refer to members of the knightly class or those engaged in military service on horseback. In some cases, the name may have been bestowed upon individuals who exhibited knightly qualities or virtues, such as bravery, chivalry, and honor.
One of the earliest known references to the name RITTER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already well-established in certain parts of Germany during that time.
Notable individuals with the surname RITTER throughout history include Johann Wilhelm Ritter (1776-1810), a German physicist and philosopher known for his discovery of ultraviolet radiation. Another prominent figure was Carl Ritter (1779-1859), a German geographer and pioneer in the field of modern geography.
In the realm of literature, Ritter Joseph von Eichendorff (1788-1857) was a prominent German poet and novelist, known for his lyrical poetry and contributions to the Romantic movement. The name RITTER also appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name RITTER can be found in a document from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1348, which mentions a certain "Konrad Ritter". Additionally, the Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae, a collection of historical records from Silesia, contains references to individuals with the surname RITTER as early as the 14th century.
Other notable individuals with the surname RITTER include Thelma Ritter (1905-1969), an American actress known for her memorable supporting roles in films such as "All About Eve" and "Pickup on South Street". There was also Otto Ritter (1909-2004), a German U-boat commander during World War II, and Theodore Ritter (1836-1888), an American businessman and founder of the Ritter Dental Manufacturing Company.
The surname RITTER has been widely dispersed throughout various regions of Germany and beyond, reflecting the historical mobility and influence of the knightly class. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name continues to be carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ritter
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritter, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ritter 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 Ritter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 28,418
- Two or more races3.2% · 1,007
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 1,003
- Black or African American2.8% · 893
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 173
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 155
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ritter
Ritter 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
#1,053
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,252
+388 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 11.27
Rank movement Down 83 places
2020
#1,086
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,649
-1,603 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 10.59
Rank movement Down 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #970 | 32,864 | 12.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,053 | 33,252 | 11.27 | +388 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 83 places |
| 2020 | #1,086 | 31,649 | 10.59 | -1,603 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 33 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 Ritter 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 | #1,053 | #1,086 | -3.1% |
| Count | 33,252 | 31,649 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 11.27 | 10.59 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ritter bearers went from 33,252 to 31,649 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,053 to #1,086.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ritter
FAQ
Ritter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ritter?
Name Census estimates that about 36,293 living Americans carry the surname Ritter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,444 residents.
How common is Ritter?
Ritter ranks #1,086 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 31,649 people with the surname Ritter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (36,293), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Ritter.
Has Ritter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ritter went from 33,252 recorded bearers to 31,649. That is a decrease of 1,603 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,053 to #1,086.
What does the Census say about the background of Ritter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritter, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Ritter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (28,418 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ritter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Ritter (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 Ritter mean?
An occupational surname referring to a mounted warrior or knight in German-speaking regions. 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 Ritter (10.59 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 Ritter?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.