Explore the Family Name Rainier
The meaning of Rainier
1. Altered form of French Regnier, a cognate of 2 below. Compare Rainear, Rainer, Rinear, Rineer, and Rinier. 2. In some cases possibly also French: from the personal name Rainier, from ancient Germanic Raginhari, composed of the elements ragin ‘counsel’ and hari ‘army’. This surname, which is a variant of Reinier, is very rare in France. Some characteristic forenames: French Patrice.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rainier in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Rainier has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 33,735 and decreased to 35,395 in 2010, marking a 4.92% drop in popular rank. The number of individuals carrying the Rainier surname also slightly declined from 637 in 2000 to 636 in 2010, representing a marginal -0.16% change. The proportion per 100k people also lowered by 8.33%, moving from 0.24 to 0.22.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #33,735 | #35,395 | -4.92% |
| Count | 637 | 636 | -0.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.24 | 0.22 | -8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rainier
The ethnic identity associated with the Rainier surname has also seen some changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The proportion of White individuals with this surname decreased by 3.04%, from 93.41% in 2000 to 90.57% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of Hispanic individuals increased substantially by 110.19%, from 1.57% in 2000 to 3.30% in 2010. The percentage of Black individuals decreased from 3.30% in 2000 down to 2.67% in 2010, a decline of 19.09%. Notably, in 2010, there were individuals of two or more races who carried the surname which was not observed in the year 2000. However, the Asian/Pacific Islander category dropped to 0% in 2010 from 1.26% in 2000. There were no individuals of American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity recorded under the surname Rainier for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.41% | 90.57% | -3.04% |
| Hispanic | 1.57% | 3.3% | 110.19% |
| Black | 3.3% | 2.67% | -19.09% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.73% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.26% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |