2000
#1,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,736
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.20
Uncommon Last name
Read
An occupational surname referring to a person who acted as an advisor or interpreter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,866 Americans carry the last name Read. That puts it at #2,150 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,168 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Read surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Read with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,168
Census rank
#2,150
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,452 bearers of the surname Read in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2150th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Read, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Read
Among Census respondents with the surname Read, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Read bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Read surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 14,395
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 920
- Two or more races3.2% · 532
- Black or African American2.7% · 439
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 112
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Read
Read appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,048
+312 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 5.78
Rank movement Down 146 places
2020
#2,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,452
-596 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 5.50
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,981 | 16,736 | 6.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,127 | 17,048 | 5.78 | +312 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 146 places |
| 2020 | #2,150 | 16,452 | 5.50 | -596 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 23 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Read surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,127 | #2,150 | -1.1% |
| Count | 17,048 | 16,452 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.78 | 5.50 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Read bearers went from 17,048 to 16,452 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,127 to #2,150.
FAQ
Read surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Read?
Name Census estimates that about 18,866 living Americans carry the surname Read. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,168 residents.
How common is Read?
Read ranks #2,150 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,452 people with the surname Read. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,866), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Read.
Has Read become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Read went from 17,048 recorded bearers to 16,452. That is a decrease of 596 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,127 to #2,150.
What does the Census say about the background of Read?
Among Census respondents with the surname Read, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Read in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (14,395 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Read appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (5.6%), Two or More Races (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Read (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Read mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who acted as an advisor or interpreter. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Read (5.50 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Read?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.