Reames last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Reames

An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of cream, derived from the Middle English word "reme."

Reames, 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 Reames surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reames in America

Reames is the 10987th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reames surname appeared 2,894 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Reames.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reames 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 10987 10689 2.75%
Count 2,894 2,743 5.36%
Proportion per 100k 0.98 1.02 -4.00%

The history of the last name Reames

The surname Reames is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the village of Rheims in Somerset, which itself is named after the French city of Reims. The name may also be linked to the Old English word "rym," meaning "room" or "space."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "de Remes." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 13th century. It is also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, further indicating its long-standing presence in the region.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire as "Remys," and in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire as "Reymes." These variations in spelling were common during this period, as standardized spellings had not yet been established.

Notable individuals with the surname Reames include John Reames (born c. 1470), a landowner and merchant from Somersetshire, whose estate is mentioned in the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535. Robert Reames (c. 1520-1592) was a prominent clergyman who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Bridgwater, Somerset.

In the 17th century, William Reames (1637-1701) was a successful merchant and landowner in Bristol, known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting local charities and educational institutions. His grandson, also named William Reames (1675-1742), was a respected lawyer and member of the Society of Antiquaries.

Moving into the 18th century, John Reames (1722-1803) was a noted botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora in the British Isles. His extensive collection of plant specimens is still housed at the Natural History Museum in London.

These examples illustrate the long and diverse history of the Reames surname, spanning various regions of England and encompassing individuals from various walks of life, from clergymen and lawyers to merchants and naturalists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reames

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

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 Reames was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 88.01% 2,547
Non-Hispanic Black Only 6.98% 202
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.55% 16
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.52% 15
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.45% 42
Hispanic Origin 2.49% 72

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 Reames has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 88.01% 90.12% -2.37%
Black 6.98% 6.78% 2.91%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.55% 0.29% 61.90%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.52% 0.58% -10.91%
Two or More Races 1.45% 1.31% 10.14%
Hispanic 2.49% 0.91% 92.94%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Reames last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/reames-surname-popularity/.

"Reames last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/reames-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Reames last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/reames-surname-popularity/.

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