Explore the Family Name Riffel
The meaning of Riffel
German: 1. from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with hrōd ‘renown, victory’, for example Rudolf. 2. metonymic occupational name for a flax or hemp worker, from late Middle High German riffel ‘comb (for preparing flax)’, a noun derivative of Middle High German riffeln ‘to comb’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Riffel in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Riffel saw a slight change in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 16,931 out of all surnames in the United States, but slipped to 17,441 by 2010, marking a decrease of 3.01%. However, the actual count of individuals bearing this surname increased slightly from 1,550 in 2000 to 1,617 in 2010, reflecting an increase of 4.32%. Despite this growth, the proportion per 100,000 people dropped slightly from 0.57 to 0.55, a decrease of 3.51%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,931 | #17,441 | -3.01% |
| Count | 1,550 | 1,617 | 4.32% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.57 | 0.55 | -3.51% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Riffel
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some variations among those with the surname Riffel. The majority identified as White, although this percentage decreased slightly from 96.39% in 2000 to 93.26% in 2010. Hispanic representation more than doubled, going from 1.55% in 2000 to 3.28% in 2010. Furthermore, there were small increases in those identifying as Two or More Races and American Indian and Alaskan Native, up 44.44% and 23.08% respectively. New entries in the 2010 data show that some people with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, even though these categories were not represented in the 2000 data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.39% | 93.26% | -3.25% |
| Hispanic | 1.55% | 3.28% | 111.61% |
| Two or More Races | 0.9% | 1.3% | 44.44% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.87% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.65% | 0.8% | 23.08% |
| Black | 0% | 0.49% | 0% |