2000
#5,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.26
Rare Last name
Ream
An English occupational surname for someone who made or sold cream, or a variant of Reaume, a French topographic name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,604 Americans carry the last name Ream. That puts it at #5,792 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,901 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ream 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 Ream with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 51,901
Census rank
#5,792
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,759 bearers of the surname Ream in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5792nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ream, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ream
The surname "REAM" has its origins in England, and it can be traced back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "ream," which means "cream" or "thick cream." It is likely that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had a fair complexion or was a producer of dairy products.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "REAM" can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a person named William Reme is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that time period.
The name "REAM" is also mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1301, indicating its presence in different regions of England. Some records suggest that the name may have originated in the village of Ream, located in the county of Lincolnshire, lending credence to the theory that it could be a locational surname.
A notable bearer of the surname "REAM" was Sir John Ream (1558-1628), a member of the English gentry and a landowner in Lincolnshire. He served as a Justice of the Peace and was involved in local governance during the reign of King James I.
Another historical figure with the surname "REAM" was William Ream (1670-1745), a merchant and shipowner from the town of Hull in Yorkshire. He played a significant role in the maritime trade of his time and was known for his successful business ventures.
In the 18th century, the Ream family had a presence in the village of Haxey, Lincolnshire. Robert Ream (1721-1792) was a prominent farmer and landowner in the area, and his descendants continued to live in the region for several generations.
The surname "REAM" also appears in historical records from other parts of England, such as the counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, and Gloucestershire, indicating its widespread distribution across the country.
Towards the end of the 16th century, some members of the Ream family migrated to the American colonies, contributing to the spread of the surname in the New World. One notable individual was John Ream (1784-1858), a farmer and politician from Ohio who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
Throughout its history, the surname "REAM" has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, and public service, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its bearers across different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ream
Among Census respondents with the surname Ream, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ream 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 Ream surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 5,190
- Two or more races3.2% · 187
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 164
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 154
- Black or African American0.6% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ream
Ream 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
#5,588
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,222
+113 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Down 338 places
2020
#5,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,759
-463 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 1.93
Rank movement Down 204 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,250 | 6,109 | 2.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,588 | 6,222 | 2.11 | +113 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 338 places |
| 2020 | #5,792 | 5,759 | 1.93 | -463 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 204 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 Ream 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 | #5,588 | #5,792 | -3.7% |
| Count | 6,222 | 5,759 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.11 | 1.93 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ream bearers went from 6,222 to 5,759 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 204 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,588 to #5,792.
FAQ
Ream surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ream?
Name Census estimates that about 6,604 living Americans carry the surname Ream. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,901 residents.
How common is Ream?
Ream ranks #5,792 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,759 people with the surname Ream. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,604), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ream.
Has Ream become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ream went from 6,222 recorded bearers to 5,759. That is a decrease of 463 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,588 to #5,792.
What does the Census say about the background of Ream?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ream, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Ream in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (5,190 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ream appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Ream (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 Ream mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who made or sold cream, or a variant of Reaume, a French topographic name. 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 Ream (1.93 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 Ream?
See how common the surname Ream is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.