Show ContentsRhein History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Rhein is a local name, derived from the Rhine River. The Rhine starts in Basel, Switzerland, and bends north through the German countryside until it reaches the North Sea, passing through the cities of Freiburg, Frankfurt, Bonn, and Cologne. Local names are based upon the place where the original bearer lived or held land.

Early Origins of the Rhein family

The surname Rhein was first found in Switzerland, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as they emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Rhein family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rhein research. Another 267 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1187, 1281, 1290, 1408, 1436, 1451, 1502, 1643, 1722, 1780, 1795, 1802, 1805 and 1809 are included under the topic Early Rhein History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rhein Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rhine, Rheina, Rhyne, Rhyn, Rheine, Rein, Ryne, Rine, Reno and many more.

Early Notables of the Rhein family

Notables of the time with the surname Rhein were

  • Amadeus Rhein, who was the Grand Prior of the Johannite Order of Knights in 1408...
  • Caspar Rhein was the Bishop of Basel until 1502...
  • Both these men were of the Rhein von und zu Rhein family...
  • Also of this eminent line, Baron Maximilian Rhein (b.1780) was the Minister of Justice for Bavaria, and Baron Friedrich Rhein (b.1802) was the Administrative President Lower Franconia...

Rhein Ranking

In the United States, the name Rhein is the 17,173rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Rhein migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rhein Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Martin Rhein, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
  • Peter Rhein, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 2
  • Johann Henrich Rhein, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 2
  • David Rhein, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 2
  • John Jacob Rhein, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1763 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Rhein Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anna Rhein, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 2
  • Phillip Rhein, aged 25, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 2
  • Magd Rhein, aged 22, who landed in America in 1854 2
  • Eva Rhein, aged 29, who arrived in America in 1854 2
  • Elis Rhein, who landed in America in 1854 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rhein (post 1700) +

  • Charles Lyons Rhein (b. 1922), American who after working for IBM (1944-1948), became a prominent teacher of computer science
  • Francis Bayard Rhein (b. 1915), American professor of theology and a clergyman

Flight TWA 800
  • Mr. Clyde Kirk Rhein Jr. (1954-1996), aged 42, from Darien, Connecticut, USA, American president and chief executive of insurance company flying aboard Flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; he died in the crash 3


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm


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