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

Read, 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 Read surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Read in America

Read is the 2127th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Read surname appeared 17,048 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Read.

We can also compare 2010 data for Read 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 Read

The surname Read originates from England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "rædan," which means "to read" or "to advise." This name was likely given as an occupational surname to those who were literate and worked as scribes, clerks, or readers in religious institutions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Read surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Radere" and "Redere." These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots to its modern form.

During the 13th century, the surname began to appear more frequently in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled as "Rede" and "Redde." This period also saw the emergence of place names associated with the surname, such as Reade in Lancashire and Redehall in Suffolk.

Notable historical figures bearing the Read surname include Sir William Read (1555-1636), an English merchant and philanthropist who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1619. Another prominent individual was Sir John Read (c.1588-1658), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I.

In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir Nathaniel Read (1658-1727), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1692. During this time, the surname also appeared in various forms, such as "Reade" and "Redde."

Moving into the 18th century, the Read surname continued to be associated with notable figures, such as Sir John Read (1720-1794), an English politician and Lieutenant-General in the British Army. Additionally, the American Revolutionary War saw the involvement of Joseph Read (1694-1786), a prominent lawyer and statesman who served as the President of the Provincial Congress of New Jersey.

As the centuries progressed, the Read surname remained widely distributed across England and its colonies, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, including politics, law, and commerce.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Read

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

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 Read 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 Read 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 Read was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!