2000
#10,277
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,874
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Reading
An English locational surname referring to someone from the town of Reading in Berkshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,227 Americans carry the last name Reading. That puts it at #10,816 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,215 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reading 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 Reading with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,215
Census rank
#10,816
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,814 bearers of the surname Reading in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10816th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reading, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reading
The surname Reading is of English origin, derived from the place name 'Reading' in Berkshire, England. It is a locational surname, meaning it was originally given to someone who hailed from the town of Reading.
The town of Reading itself dates back to the 8th century, with its name deriving from the Old English phrase 'Readin-gan', meaning 'the people of Reada'. Reada was likely a Saxon leader or chieftain who established a settlement in the area.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Reading can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Redinge'. This indicates that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the surname was John Reading, a prominent landowner and knight who served under King Edward I. He was born around 1250 and died in 1317.
Another early example is William Reading, a wealthy merchant and alderman of London, who lived from 1340 to 1400. He was involved in the wool trade and held significant influence in the city's affairs.
In the 16th century, Thomas Reading (1516-1587) was a respected English clergyman and author, best known for his work 'A Guide to the Holy Scriptures'.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Colonel John Reading (1588-1667) was a prominent military leader who fought for the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell.
In the 18th century, Reverend William Reading (1717-1794) was a notable Anglican clergyman and author, known for his sermons and religious writings.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Reading throughout history, highlighting its English origins and long-standing presence in various fields and contexts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reading
Among Census respondents with the surname Reading, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Reading 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 Reading surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 2,435
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 118
- Black or African American3.9% · 111
- Two or more races3.9% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reading
Reading 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
#10,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,982
+108 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 438 places
2020
#10,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,814
-168 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 101 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,277 | 2,874 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,715 | 2,982 | 1.01 | +108 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 438 places |
| 2020 | #10,816 | 2,814 | 0.94 | -168 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 101 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 Reading 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 | #10,715 | #10,816 | -0.9% |
| Count | 2,982 | 2,814 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.94 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reading bearers went from 2,982 to 2,814 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 101 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,715 to #10,816.
FAQ
Reading surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reading?
Name Census estimates that about 3,227 living Americans carry the surname Reading. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,215 residents.
How common is Reading?
Reading ranks #10,816 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,814 people with the surname Reading. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Reading.
Has Reading become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reading went from 2,982 recorded bearers to 2,814. That is a decrease of 168 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,715 to #10,816.
What does the Census say about the background of Reading?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reading, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (3.9%). 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 Reading in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (2,435 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reading appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Hispanic (4.2%), Black (3.9%). 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 Reading (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 Reading mean?
An English locational surname referring to someone from the town of Reading in Berkshire, England. 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 Reading (0.94 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 Reading?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.