2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ryvkin
A Russified form of a surname indicating an association with fishing or selling fish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Ryvkin. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ryvkin 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Ryvkin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ryvkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ryvkin
The surname RYVKIN is of Jewish Ashkenazi origin, and it can be traced back to the Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The name is derived from the Yiddish word "riv," meaning "river," and likely referred to a person who lived near a river or a town located along a river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RYVKIN surname can be found in the Jewish community of Vitebsk, located in modern-day Belarus. In the late 18th century, a merchant named Leib RYVKIN was recorded in the local tax records, indicating that the name was already in use at that time.
During the 19th century, the RYVKIN surname spread throughout the Pale of Settlement, which encompassed parts of modern-day Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic states. As the Jewish population in these areas grew, the name became more widespread and was often associated with small towns or villages located near rivers or streams.
In the early 20th century, many Jewish families with the RYVKIN surname immigrated to the United States and other countries to escape persecution and poverty. One notable RYVKIN was Ilya Mikhailovich RYVKIN (1898-1980), a Russian-American painter and sculptor who was born in Vitebsk and later settled in New York City.
Another prominent figure with the RYVKIN surname was Lev Semenovich RYVKIN (1904-1949), a Soviet military commander who played a significant role in the defense of Stalingrad during World War II. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his bravery and leadership.
In the field of literature, the Russian-American writer and poet Semyon RYVKIN (1920-2010) was known for his works exploring the experiences of Jewish immigrants in the United States. His novel "The Promised Land" was widely acclaimed and translated into several languages.
Zelman RYVKIN (1932-2018) was a renowned Ukrainian-American artist and sculptor whose works were displayed in galleries and museums around the world. He was particularly known for his intricate and expressive bronze sculptures.
Lastly, Aleksandr RYVKIN (born 1953) is a prominent Russian-American political scientist and author who has written extensively on issues related to democracy, human rights, and international relations. He has held academic positions at various universities in the United States and Russia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ryvkin
Among Census respondents with the surname Ryvkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ryvkin 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 Ryvkin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ryvkin
Ryvkin appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,590 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,590 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 Ryvkin 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 | #148,347 | #145,757 | 1.7% |
| Count | 111 | 115 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ryvkin bearers went from 111 to 115 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,590 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #145,757.
FAQ
Ryvkin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ryvkin?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Ryvkin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Ryvkin?
Ryvkin ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Ryvkin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ryvkin.
Has Ryvkin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ryvkin went from 111 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Ryvkin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ryvkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Ryvkin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ryvkin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Ryvkin (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 Ryvkin mean?
A Russified form of a surname indicating an association with fishing or selling fish. 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 Ryvkin (0.04 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 Ryvkin?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Ryvkin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.