Last Names

Surnames / R

Riel

How common is the last name Riel?

About this name

We do not yet have a written origin for Riel, so here is what the census records show.

Surname origins are rarely settled, and we would rather say nothing than guess. The sources below are the best places to look, and our guide to how surnames began explains the usual types.

Similar spellings

Names nearby in the census

#14,139

Riel was the 14,139th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 2,125 people, about 0.7 in every 100,000.

Who carries it

  • White (non-Hispanic)85.3%
  • Hispanic or Latino2.9%
  • Black (non-Hispanic)0.9%
  • Asian or Pacific Islander8.2%
  • Two or more races2.5%
  • American Indian or Alaska Native0.3%

Check the sources

For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.