2000
#14,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,944
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Reasoner
An occupational surname denoting a skilled debater, orator, or philosopher, derived from the Middle English word "resoner."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,207 Americans carry the last name Reasoner. That puts it at #14,793 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 155,303 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reasoner 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
2.2K
1 in 155,303
Census rank
#14,793
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,925 bearers of the surname Reasoner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14793rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reasoner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reasoner
The surname Reasoner is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Old English words "resun" and "raesun," which referred to reasoning, logic, or argument. The name likely originated as an occupational surname, given to those who were skilled in logical thinking, debate, or persuasion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reasoner can be found in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a certain John Resoner is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the surname over time.
In the 15th century, the Reasoner surname was prominent in the county of Lincolnshire, where several families bearing the name resided. The Subsidy Rolls of 1524 list a Thomas Resoner from the village of Stickney, suggesting the name's association with this particular region.
During the 16th century, the Reasoner name appeared in various historical records across England. In 1567, a William Reasoner was recorded in the Parish Registers of St. Peter's Church, Nottingham. Additionally, the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674 mention a Robert Reasoner from the town of Spalding, Lincolnshire.
Notable individuals with the surname Reasoner include Sir John Reasoner (1580-1644), a respected lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. His contributions to the legal system and his involvement in the English Civil War have been well documented.
Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Reasoner (1712-1786), a renowned scholar and educator from Oxford. She was one of the first women to be admitted to the University of Oxford and made significant contributions to the field of philosophy.
In the 19th century, the Reasoner surname gained recognition through the work of William Reasoner (1818-1892), a renowned author and journalist. His writings on social and political issues were widely published and influential during the Victorian era.
The Reasoner name also has connections to the town of Reasoner, located in Panola County, Texas. This place name is believed to have been derived from the surname, although the exact origins of the town's naming are uncertain.
While the Reasoner surname may not be as common as some others, it has a rich and diverse history, spanning several centuries and regions of England. The name's connotations of logic, reasoning, and persuasion have undoubtedly contributed to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reasoner
Among Census respondents with the surname Reasoner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Reasoner 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 Reasoner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 1,735
- Two or more races3.9% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 59
- Black or African American1.4% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reasoner
Reasoner 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
#14,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,050
+106 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 361 places
2020
#14,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,925
-125 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 256 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,176 | 1,944 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,537 | 2,050 | 0.69 | +106 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 361 places |
| 2020 | #14,793 | 1,925 | 0.64 | -125 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 256 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 Reasoner 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 | #14,537 | #14,793 | -1.8% |
| Count | 2,050 | 1,925 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.64 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reasoner bearers went from 2,050 to 1,925 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 256 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,537 to #14,793.
FAQ
Reasoner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reasoner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,207 living Americans carry the surname Reasoner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 155,303 residents.
How common is Reasoner?
Reasoner ranks #14,793 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,925 people with the surname Reasoner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,207), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Reasoner.
Has Reasoner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reasoner went from 2,050 recorded bearers to 1,925. That is a decrease of 125 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,537 to #14,793.
What does the Census say about the background of Reasoner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reasoner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Reasoner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (1,735 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reasoner 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 (3.9%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Reasoner (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 Reasoner mean?
An occupational surname denoting a skilled debater, orator, or philosopher, derived from the Middle English word "resoner." 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 Reasoner (0.64 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 many people are called Reasoner?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Reasoner is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.