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

Reason, 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 Reason surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reason in America

Reason is the 12328th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reason surname appeared 2,522 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 Reason.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reason 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 Reason

The surname REASON is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, derived from the Old English word "ræsun," which meant "reason" or "logic." This name was likely bestowed upon individuals who were regarded as wise, rational, or logical in their thinking and decision-making abilities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the REASON surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record from the late 13th century. In this document, a person named William Reson is mentioned, which is considered an early variant spelling of the name.

The REASON surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Reson is listed. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in different regions of England during the 14th century.

During the 16th century, the REASON surname appears to have been particularly prevalent in the county of Gloucestershire. One notable individual from this period was Richard Reason, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Cirencester in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the REASON surname gained further prominence with the birth of Matthew Reason (1630-1698), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Halton, Buckinghamshire. His works included a treatise on the law of nature and a volume of sermons.

Another notable figure bearing the REASON surname was John Reason (1718-1780), a successful merchant and banker who founded the private banking firm of Reason, Roffey, and Company in London. This institution played a significant role in financing trade and commerce during the 18th century.

Moving into the 19th century, the REASON surname continued to be associated with individuals of note, such as William Reason (1824-1902), an English architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in the city of Bristol.

Throughout its history, the REASON surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Reason's Hill in Gloucestershire and Reason's Farm in Oxfordshire, suggesting the presence of families or individuals bearing this name in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reason

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

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

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

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