Find out how popular the last name Rea is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rea.

Rea, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rea in America

Rea is the 2443rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rea surname appeared 14,819 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Rea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rea to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rea

The surname REA has its origins in Scotland and England, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "ra," which means a roe or small deer. This suggests that the name may have originated as a nickname for someone who lived near an area frequented by deer or who had a deer-like appearance or characteristics.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it is spelled as "de Raa." The Pipe Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer during the reign of Henry II. This early spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been a locative surname, referring to someone who lived near a place associated with deer.

In Scotland, the name REA appears in various historical records from the 13th century onwards. For example, John de Rea is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which contain the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This record suggests that the REA family held a position of some importance in medieval Scotland.

The Domesday Book, a great survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname REA. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname, such as Raa in Yorkshire and Reades in Surrey.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname REA. One of the earliest was John Rea (c. 1470 - 1539), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Glasgow from 1530 until his death. Another prominent figure was Henry Rea (1612 - 1670), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1670.

In the literary world, the name is associated with writers such as Lilian Rea (1879 - 1949), an American novelist and short story writer, and Alastair Reid (1926 - 2014), a Scottish poet and scholar who gained recognition for his work on Spanish literature.

Other notable individuals with the surname REA include Samuel Rea (1822 - 1904), an American industrialist and financier who served as the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and John Rea (1755 - 1829), a prominent American Presbyterian minister and educator who co-founded the University of Pennsylvania.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rea

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rea.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rea was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rea has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rea was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rea, please contact us.

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