2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rymel
A locational surname denoting someone from a place with a name derived from the Old English words "rym" and "hyll."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Rymel. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rymel 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Rymel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rymel, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (13.1%) and Two or More Races (13.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rymel
The surname RYMEL is of English origin, with its roots traceable to the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "rimer," which means "to rhyme" or "to compose verses." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who were poets, minstrels, or storytellers.
During the medieval period, the name appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Warwickshire and Staffordshire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a Richard Rymel from Warwickshire.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was John Rymel, a poet and chronicler who lived in the city of Coventry. His work, known as the "Rimel Chronicle," provides valuable insights into the social and political climate of that era.
The name RYMEL has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Rimell, Rymell, and Rymell. Some of these variations can be found in ancient land records and parish registers, indicating the presence of families with this surname in different parts of England.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Rymel, born in 1487 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was a prominent landowner and held several positions of authority in his local community.
Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Rymel (1562-1628), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He was knighted by King James I in recognition of his successful business ventures and philanthropic endeavors.
In the 17th century, the RYMEL surname found its way across the Atlantic Ocean to the British colonies in North America. One of the earliest settlers bearing this name was Edward Rymel, who arrived in Virginia in 1635.
During the 18th century, a prominent member of the RYMEL family was Elizabeth Rymel (1722-1798), a philanthropist and advocate for women's education. She founded several schools and provided financial support to numerous charitable causes in her hometown of Bristol.
As the centuries progressed, the RYMEL surname continued to spread across different parts of the world, with families bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, including literature, arts, and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rymel
Among Census respondents with the surname Rymel, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (13.1%) and Two or More Races (13.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Rymel 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 Rymel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.6% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native13.1% · 13
- Two or more races13.1% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino9.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rymel
Rymel 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,300 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-11 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,610 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 2,300 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 6,610 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 Rymel 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 | #149,395 | #156,005 | -4.4% |
| Count | 110 | 99 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rymel bearers went from 110 to 99 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 6,610 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #156,005.
FAQ
Rymel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rymel?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Rymel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Rymel?
Rymel ranks #156,005 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 99 people with the surname Rymel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), 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 Rymel.
Has Rymel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rymel went from 110 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 11 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Rymel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rymel, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (13.1%) and Two or More Races (13.1%). 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 Rymel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.6% (64 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rymel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (13.1%), Two or More Races (13.1%). 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 Rymel (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 Rymel mean?
A locational surname denoting someone from a place with a name derived from the Old English words "rym" and "hyll." 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 Rymel (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 people are called Rymel?
See how common the surname Rymel is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.