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Riker Family History

Riker Surname Meaning

Americanized form of Dutch or Flemish Rijken or Rijcken (in Belgium also Rycken): patronymic from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with rīc ‘powerful’.

German: variant of Ricker.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Riker family from?

You can see how Riker families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Riker family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Riker families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 11 Riker families living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Riker's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Riker families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Riker surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Riker ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Riker. 16% of Riker men worked as a Laborer and 11% of Riker women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Riker were Salesman and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Riker | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    16%
  • Farmer
    11%
  • Clerk
    8%
  • Salesman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    11%
  • Housewife
    10%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    7%

What Riker family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 22,000 census records available for the last name Riker. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Riker census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Riker

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Riker. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Riker immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Riker. For the veterans among your Riker ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Riker military records

You've only scratched the surface of Riker family history

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What is the average Riker lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Riker life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Riker in 1947 was 63, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Riker

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Riker ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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