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Rief Family History

Rief Surname Meaning

German: from a variant of the personal name Rüef Ruoff shortened forms of Rudolf or from a short form of the ancient Germanic personal name Ricfrid composed of the elements rīc ‘power(ful) rich’ + frid ‘peace’.

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 Rief family from?

You can see how Rief families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rief family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rief families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2 Rief families living in Kent. This was 100% of all the recorded Rief's in United Kingdom. Kent had the highest population of Rief families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rief 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 Rief ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Rief. 21% of Rief men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Rief women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rief were Clerk and Maid.

View Census Data for Rief | 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

  • Farmer
    21%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    10%
  • Clerk
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    34%
  • Laborer
    23%
  • Teacher
    23%
  • Maid
    23%

What Rief family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Rief. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rief census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Rief

Passenger Lists

There are 725 immigration records available for the last name Rief. 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 Rief immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Rief. For the veterans among your Rief ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rief military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rief family history

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What is the average Rief lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Rief life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Rief in 1957 was 60, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rief

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rief 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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