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

Reams, 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 Reams surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reams in America

Reams is the 6618th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reams surname appeared 5,118 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Reams.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reams 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.

The history of the last name Reams

The surname Reams has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ream," which means a strip or border of land. This suggests that the name was likely originally given to someone who lived on or near a boundary or border of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reams can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Walter Rem is listed. The spelling variation "Rem" is likely an earlier form of the surname Reams.

In the 13th century, the surname Reams began to appear more frequently in various records and documents. One notable example is in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mentions a Richard Rem. This record provides evidence that the name had spread to other parts of England by this time.

The Reams surname has also been linked to certain place names in England, such as Reams Farm in Oxfordshire and Reams Wood in Buckinghamshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Some notable individuals with the surname Reams throughout history include:

1. William Reams (c. 1590 - 1679), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works in the 17th century.
2. John Reams (1655 - 1718), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, England.
3. Mary Reams (1737 - 1810), a prominent Quaker minister and activist who spoke out against slavery and promoted women's rights in colonial America.
4. Benjamin Reams (1809 - 1887), a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to steam engines and other industrial machinery.
5. Elizabeth Reams (1876 - 1956), an American educator and suffragette who campaigned for women's right to vote in the early 20th century.

While the surname Reams has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to migration and the movement of people over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reams

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

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 Reams was:

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

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

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

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