2000
#10,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,809
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Reale
Derived from the Italian word meaning "royal" or "regal," indicating a connection to a royal lineage or a regal bearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,975 Americans carry the last name Reale. That puts it at #11,591 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 115,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reale 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 Reale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 115,212
Census rank
#11,591
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,594 bearers of the surname Reale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11591st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reale, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reale
The surname Reale originated in Italy, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "reale," meaning "royal" or "regal." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been individuals with ties to nobility or those who served in royal households.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Reale surname can be found in the historic city of Naples, which was a prominent center of cultural and political significance during the Middle Ages. Records from the 13th century mention a noble family bearing the Reale name, indicating their influential status within the region.
In the 14th century, the Reale surname appeared in various documents and chronicles from the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. This area was renowned for its vineyards and wine production, and it is possible that some Reale families were involved in this industry.
During the Renaissance era, the Reale name gained further prominence. Historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries mention notable individuals bearing this surname. One such figure was Giovanni Battista Reale (1510-1578), a renowned architect and sculptor from Naples who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the city.
Another prominent Reale was Oronzo Gabriele Reale (1635-1718), a Neapolitan philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on metaphysics and ethics. His works, such as "Philosophical Dialogues" and "The True Metaphysics," were widely read and influential during his time.
In the 18th century, the Reale surname was also associated with the arts. Carlo Reale (1731-1805) was an Italian painter and engraver from Naples, known for his religious and mythological works. He was a member of the prestigious Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli (Academy of Fine Arts of Naples).
Over the centuries, variations of the Reale surname emerged, including Reali, Reale, and Realini. These variations often reflected regional dialects or linguistic adaptations. Additionally, certain place names and locations in Italy, such as Reale, a small town in the province of Caserta, may have contributed to the development of the surname.
While the Reale surname has its origins in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, this report focuses solely on the historical origins and significance of the surname within the Italian context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reale
Among Census respondents with the surname Reale, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Reale 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 Reale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 2,365
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 128
- Two or more races2.3% · 60
- Black or African American0.8% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reale
Reale 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
#10,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,012
+203 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 139 places
2020
#11,591
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,594
-418 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 960 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,492 | 2,809 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,631 | 3,012 | 1.02 | +203 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 139 places |
| 2020 | #11,591 | 2,594 | 0.87 | -418 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 960 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 Reale 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 | #10,631 | #11,591 | -9.0% |
| Count | 3,012 | 2,594 | -13.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.87 | -14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reale bearers went from 3,012 to 2,594 (-13.9% change). The surname moved down 960 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,631 to #11,591.
FAQ
Reale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reale?
Name Census estimates that about 2,975 living Americans carry the surname Reale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 115,212 residents.
How common is Reale?
Reale ranks #11,591 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 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 2,594 people with the surname Reale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,975), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 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 Reale.
Has Reale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reale went from 3,012 recorded bearers to 2,594. That is a decrease of 418 (-13.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,631 to #11,591.
What does the Census say about the background of Reale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reale, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Reale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (2,365 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Reale (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 Reale mean?
Derived from the Italian word meaning "royal" or "regal," indicating a connection to a royal lineage or a regal bearing. 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 Reale (0.87 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 common is the surname Reale?
See how many Americans have the surname Reale on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.