2000
#84,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 205
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Rhodehamel
A German surname indicating a person coming from a place called Rodenhamel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 214 Americans carry the last name Rhodehamel. That puts it at #102,571 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,601,656 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rhodehamel 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
214
1 in 1,601,656
Census rank
#102,571
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
187
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 187 bearers of the surname Rhodehamel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 102571st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhodehamel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rhodehamel
The surname RHODEHAMEL originated in Germany, likely in the region of Bavaria, during the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the German words "Rhode" meaning a clearing or open field, and "Hamel" which is a small village or hamlet. Thus, the name may have referred to someone who lived in a small settlement surrounded by open fields or meadows.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in Bavaria, where a certain Hans RHODEHAMEL was listed as a resident in the year 1612. This suggests that the name was already established in that region by the early 1600s.
In the mid-18th century, a Johann RHODEHAMEL (1732-1807) was a respected clockmaker and watchmaker in the city of Augsburg, which was renowned for its skilled craftsmen during that era. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by wealthy patrons across Europe.
During the 19th century, the RHODEHAMEL name began to spread more widely as a result of emigration from Germany to other parts of the world. One notable individual was Carl RHODEHAMEL (1828-1903), who was born in Bavaria but later settled in the United States, where he became a successful businessman and philanthropist in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Another prominent figure was Gerhard RHODEHAMEL (1879-1946), a German-born architect who designed several landmark buildings in the city of Berlin in the early 20th century, including the famous Kaufhaus des Westens department store.
In more recent times, John RHODEHAMEL (1919-2005) was an American author and academic who served as the president of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, from 1964 to 1988, overseeing a period of significant growth and development for the institution.
Overall, while relatively uncommon, the surname RHODEHAMEL has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of southern Germany. Its bearers have made notable contributions in fields as diverse as craftsmanship, business, architecture, and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rhodehamel
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhodehamel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Rhodehamel 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 Rhodehamel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 177
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 5
- Two or more races2.1% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rhodehamel
Rhodehamel 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
#98,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 184
-21 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 13,585 places
2020
#102,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 187
+3 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 4,018 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #84,968 | 205 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #98,553 | 184 | 0.06 | -21 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 13,585 places |
| 2020 | #102,571 | 187 | 0.06 | +3 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 4,018 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 Rhodehamel 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 | #98,553 | #102,571 | -4.1% |
| Count | 184 | 187 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rhodehamel bearers went from 184 to 187 (+1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,018 positions in the national ranking, going from #98,553 to #102,571.
FAQ
Rhodehamel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rhodehamel?
Name Census estimates that about 214 living Americans carry the surname Rhodehamel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,601,656 residents.
How common is Rhodehamel?
Rhodehamel ranks #102,571 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 187 people with the surname Rhodehamel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (214), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Rhodehamel.
Has Rhodehamel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rhodehamel went from 184 recorded bearers to 187. That is an increase of 3 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #98,553 to #102,571.
What does the Census say about the background of Rhodehamel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhodehamel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Rhodehamel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (177 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rhodehamel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Rhodehamel (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 Rhodehamel mean?
A German surname indicating a person coming from a place called Rodenhamel. 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 Rhodehamel (0.06 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 people have the last name Rhodehamel?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Rhodehamel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.