2000
#7,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,387
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.63
Rare Last name
Reiser
An occupational surname referring to a traveler, messenger, or military expedition leader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,984 Americans carry the last name Reiser. That puts it at #7,394 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,771 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reiser 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
5.0K
1 in 68,771
Census rank
#7,394
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,346 bearers of the surname Reiser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7394th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reiser
The surname REISER is of German origin, derived from the Old German word "reiser" which means "traveler" or "wanderer." It is believed to have originated in the 13th century in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia in southern Germany.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 14th century in various Germanic regions. It is found in the Heidelberg Codex, a manuscript from 1395, which mentions a "Conrad Reiser" from the town of Ulm.
In the 15th century, the name appears in several historical records, including the "Biberacher Stadtbuch" (Biberach Town Book) from 1457, which lists a "Hans Reiser" as a citizen of the town. Another notable mention is in the "Augsburger Steuerbuch" (Augsburg Tax Book) from 1475, where a "Ulrich Reiser" is recorded as a taxpayer.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name REISER spread across various parts of Europe, particularly in areas with German-speaking populations. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Johannes Reiser (1495-1576), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony.
In the 18th century, the name REISER can be found in several historical records, including the "Oberamtsbuch" (Regional Court Book) of the town of Esslingen, which mentions a "Georg Reiser" in 1712. Additionally, the "Kirchenbuch" (Church Book) of the town of Lauingen lists a "Johann Reiser" born in 1742.
Some notable individuals with the surname REISER throughout history include:
1. Gottlieb Reiser (1801-1880), a German-American author and journalist.
2. Anton Reiser (1859-1944), an Austrian painter and illustrator.
3. Rudolf Reiser (1880-1957), a German writer and poet.
4. Nora Reiser (1897-1988), a German actress and theater director.
5. Paul Reiser (born 1956), an American comedian, actor, and writer.
While the name REISER has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant German immigration, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reiser
Among Census respondents with the surname Reiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Reiser 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 Reiser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 4,029
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 149
- Two or more races2.6% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 29
- Black or African American0.3% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reiser
Reiser appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,554
+167 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 284 places
2020
#7,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,346
-208 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,041 | 4,387 | 1.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,325 | 4,554 | 1.54 | +167 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 284 places |
| 2020 | #7,394 | 4,346 | 1.45 | -208 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 69 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 Reiser 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 | #7,325 | #7,394 | -0.9% |
| Count | 4,554 | 4,346 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.54 | 1.45 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reiser bearers went from 4,554 to 4,346 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,325 to #7,394.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Reiser
FAQ
Reiser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reiser?
Name Census estimates that about 4,984 living Americans carry the surname Reiser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,771 residents.
How common is Reiser?
Reiser ranks #7,394 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,346 people with the surname Reiser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,984), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Reiser.
Has Reiser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reiser went from 4,554 recorded bearers to 4,346. That is a decrease of 208 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,325 to #7,394.
What does the Census say about the background of Reiser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Reiser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (4,029 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reiser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Reiser (2000, 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 Reiser mean?
An occupational surname referring to a traveler, messenger, or military expedition leader. 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 Reiser (1.45 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 Americans have the surname Reiser?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.