2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ritterson
An occupational surname derived from the Middle English "ritter", meaning a mounted soldier or knight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Ritterson. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ritterson 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Ritterson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritterson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ritterson
The surname Ritterson has its origins in the northern counties of England, dating back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place name that has since been lost to history or altered beyond recognition. One theory suggests that it may have originated from a combination of old English words, such as "rid" meaning a clearing or ridge, and "ton" meaning a town or settlement.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Ritterson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1379, where a certain Robert Ritterson is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Knaresborough. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the 14th century in the Yorkshire region.
In the late 16th century, the Ritterson family appears to have spread to other parts of northern England, with records showing a John Ritterson born in Kendal, Cumbria, in 1582. By the 17th century, the name had also made its way to Scotland, with a notable figure being William Ritterson, a merchant from Edinburgh born in 1632.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Ritterson was Sir Thomas Ritterson, a wealthy landowner from Lancashire who lived from 1587 to 1648. He was knighted by King James I in 1617 for his contributions to the local community and his support of the monarchy during the English Civil War.
Another notable bearer of the name was Elizabeth Ritterson, a renowned botanist and naturalist from Northumberland, born in 1723. She is credited with discovering several new plant species and her extensive collection of preserved specimens is still housed in the Natural History Museum in London.
In the 19th century, the Ritterson family had established itself in various parts of the British Isles, with members making contributions in various fields. One such figure was Henry Ritterson, a renowned architect from Yorkshire, born in 1812, who designed numerous churches and public buildings across the region.
While the Ritterson name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical figures with this surname can be traced back to the northern counties of England, where it likely originated as a locational name during the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ritterson
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritterson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ritterson 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 Ritterson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 93
- Two or more races5.9% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ritterson
Ritterson 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-12 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 22,929 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 22,929 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 4,442 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 Ritterson 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 | #159,712 | #155,270 | 2.8% |
| Count | 101 | 101 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ritterson bearers went from 101 to 101 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 4,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #155,270.
FAQ
Ritterson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ritterson?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Ritterson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Ritterson?
Ritterson ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Ritterson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ritterson.
Has Ritterson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ritterson went from 101 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Ritterson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritterson, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Ritterson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ritterson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Ritterson (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 Ritterson mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Middle English "ritter", meaning a mounted soldier or knight. 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 Ritterson (0.03 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 Ritterson?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.