This surname of AMREIN is a German topographic name for someone who lived by the river Rhine, which is first recorded in the Roman period in the form RHENUS; the name may be derived from a Celtic element meaning 'to flow'. The name is also spelt RHINE, AMRINE, AMREIN, RIEMAN, Van RYN, Van RHYN and Van RIJN. Surnames derived from placenames are divided into two broad categories; topographic names and habitation names. Topographic names are derived from general descriptive references to someone who lived near a physical feature such as an oak tree, a hill, a stream or a church. Habitation names are derived from pre-existing names denoting towns, villages and farmsteads. Other classes of local names include those derived from the names of rivers, individual houses with signs on them, regions and whole countries. A notable member of the name was Joseph Banks RHINE (1895-1980) the American psychologist, pioneer of parapsychology, born in Waterloo, Pennsylvania. He studied botany at Chicago, switched to psychology at Duke University, and in 1937 became professor of psychology there. He wrote 'New Frontiers of the Mind' (1937), and 'The Reach of the Mind' (1948). Aother notable member of the name was Hugo RIEMANN (1849-1919) the German musicologist, born in Sonderhausen. He was the author of many works on the history and theory of music, he wrote exercises and studies for piano, as well as composing chamber music and a variety of songs. He was professor at Leipzig from 1901. Because of the close relationship between the English and German languages, some Germans are able to transform their names to the English form just by dropping a single letter. Many Germans have re-spelt their names in America. A great number of immigrants from Germany settled in Pennsylvania. After the start of the first World War, Germans in great numbers Anglicized their names in an effort to remove all doubt as to their patriotism. Afterwards some changed back, and then during World War II the problem became acute once more, and the changing started all over again, although not with as much intensity.