Show ContentsRiehl History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Riehl family

The surname Riehl was first found in Austria, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Chronicles first mention Johann Reimers of Bremen in 1293, Nokel Reimar of Eger, Bohemia, in 1350, and Hensl Raimer of Olmuetz. The oldest form of the name is "Reinmar" or "Reginmar," which meant literally "famous councillor." Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Riehl family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Riehl research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1260, 1694, 1710, 1738 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Riehl History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Riehl Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Reimers, Reimer, Rimers, Rimer, Reymer, Reymers, Reimar, Reimars, Reimarus, Rheimer, Remer, Remers, Remmer, Remmers, Ramer, Ramers, Raimer, Raimers, Reinmar and many more.

Early Notables of the Riehl family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Riehl were Herman Samuel Reimarus (1694-1768), a famous Hebrew scholar and Bible scholar, whose house in Hamburg was the centre of the highest culture. He founded many learned and artistic societies which had an enormous impact on the cultural life of Hamburg. His name was the Latin...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Riehl Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Riehl Ranking

In the United States, the name Riehl is the 9,779th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1] However, in France, the name Riehl is ranked the 5,947th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. [2]


United States Riehl migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Riehl Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Gottfrid Riehl, who landed in New York, NY in 1710 [3]
  • Simon Riehl, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1729 [3]
  • Nicholas Riehl, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 [3]
  • Hans Riehl, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 [3]
  • Jonas Riehl, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1742 [3]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Riehl Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Riehl, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1828 [3]
  • George Riehl, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1834 [3]
  • Phil Riehl, who arrived in America in 1853 [3]
  • Regina Riehl, aged 24, who landed in America in 1854 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Riehl (post 1700) +

  • Herbert Riehl (1915-1997), German-born American meteorologist who is widely regarded as the father of tropical meteorology
  • Matt Riehl, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 2008 [4]
  • John Riehl, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Mayor of New Milford, New Jersey, 1952 [4]
  • Charles F. Riehl, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 1888 [4]
  • Wilhelm Heinrich Riehl (1823-1897), German journalist, novelist and folklorist
  • Nikolaus Riehl (1901-1990), German nuclear chemist
  • Kevin Riehl (b. 1971), Canadian professional ice hockey player
  • Alois Adolf Riehl (1844-1924), Austrian philosopher


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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