2000
#10,689
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,743
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.02
Rare Last name
Reames
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of cream, derived from the Middle English word "reme."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,037 Americans carry the last name Reames. That puts it at #11,385 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,860 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reames 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.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,860
Census rank
#11,385
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,648 bearers of the surname Reames in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11385th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reames, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reames
Among Census respondents with the surname Reames, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Reames 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 Reames surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 2,229
- Black or African American7.1% · 187
- Two or more races4.9% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reames
Reames 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
#10,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,894
+151 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 298 places
2020
#11,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,648
-246 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 398 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,689 | 2,743 | 1.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,987 | 2,894 | 0.98 | +151 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 298 places |
| 2020 | #11,385 | 2,648 | 0.89 | -246 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 398 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 Reames 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 | #10,987 | #11,385 | -3.6% |
| Count | 2,894 | 2,648 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.89 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reames bearers went from 2,894 to 2,648 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 398 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,987 to #11,385.
FAQ
Reames surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reames?
Name Census estimates that about 3,037 living Americans carry the surname Reames. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,860 residents.
How common is Reames?
Reames ranks #11,385 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,648 people with the surname Reames. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,037), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Reames.
Has Reames become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reames went from 2,894 recorded bearers to 2,648. That is a decrease of 246 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,987 to #11,385.
What does the Census say about the background of Reames?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reames, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Reames in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (2,229 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reames appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Black (7.1%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Reames (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 Reames mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of cream, derived from the Middle English word "reme." 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 Reames (0.89 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 Reames?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Reames at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.