Explore the Family Name Reifer

The meaning of Reifer

1. South German: occupational name for a linen measurer, from Middle High German reif, a measure of length for linen. 2. South German: occupational name for a maker of rope or for the owner of a tavern with the sign of a hoop (see Reiff). 3. South German (Tyrol): topographic name for someone living at a landing place, from Romansh riva ‘riverbank’. 4. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name or nickname from the inflected form of German reif ‘mature’. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Avrum, Chaim, Hyman, Jakob, Yaakov. German Hans, Friedl.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Reifer in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Reifer has experienced a slight uptick in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Ranked 53,904th in 2000, it climbed to 53,419th by 2010, indicating an increase of 0.9%. In terms of actual numbers, individuals bearing this surname increased from 359 in 2000 to 387 in 2010, reflecting a growth rate of 7.8%. Despite these changes, the proportion of people with the Reifer surname per 100,000 residents remained steady at 0.13.

20002010Change
Rank#53,904#53,4190.9%
Count3593877.8%
Proportion per 100k0.130.130%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Reifer

When examining the ethnic identity of those with the Reifer surname based on the Decennial U.S. Census, we see minor shifts from 2000 to 2010. The majority of those carrying the name identified as White, with 93.59% in 2000 and 93.54% in 2010, marking a negligible decrease of 0.05%. For the Hispanic ethnicity, there was a small increase from 1.39% to 1.55%, showing a change of 11.51%. Similarly, the percentage of Black individuals with this surname rose from 2.51% to 2.84%, a change of 13.15%. However, no one with the Reifer surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year, while the category of "Two or more races" disappeared entirely from 2000 to 2010.

20002010Change
White93.59%93.54%-0.05%
Black2.51%2.84%13.15%
Hispanic1.39%1.55%11.51%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races1.67%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%