Explore the Family Name Rayer
The meaning of Rayer
1. German: variant of Reier ‘heron’. 2. French: occupational name for a barber, from Old French raier (from rere ‘to shave’). 3. English (Worcestershire): from the Norman personal name Raher, probably from an ancient Germanic name composed of rād ‘counsel’ + hari ‘army’. 4. Americanized form of Slovenian Rajar or Rajer: probably a nickname derived from rajati ‘to dance in a ring’. Compare Ryer.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rayer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rayer has seen a decrease between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, it was ranked 50,801 and held a count of 386 people. However, by 2010, its ranking had dropped to 57,372 with a count of 355, marking a decline of nearly 13% in rank and 8% in count. The proportion of individuals with this surname per 100,000 also decreased by roughly 14%, from 0.14 in 2000 to 0.12 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #50,801 | #57,372 | -12.93% |
| Count | 386 | 355 | -8.03% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.14 | 0.12 | -14.29% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rayer
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of those bearing the surname Rayer identify as White, with a slight decrease of 0.47% from 94.82% in 2000 to 94.37% in 2010. There was a notable increase in the Hispanic representation within this surname, rising by 24.31% from 1.81% in 2000 to 2.25% in 2010. Interestingly, there were no instances of this surname among the Asian/Pacific Islander community in 2000, but by 2010, they made up 1.41% of people with this surname. Conversely, Black representation fell to zero in the same period, while the proportions for those identifying as Two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained constant at zero throughout.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.82% | 94.37% | -0.47% |
| Hispanic | 1.81% | 2.25% | 24.31% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.41% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 1.3% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |