2000
#10,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,822
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.05
Rare Last name
Reck
A German occupational surname referring to a brave or heroic individual, derived from the Middle High German word "recke".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,027 Americans carry the last name Reck. That puts it at #11,409 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reck 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Reck with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 113,232
Census rank
#11,409
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,640 bearers of the surname Reck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11409th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reck
The surname RECK is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "reck," meaning "strong" or "brave." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptor for someone with a robust or courageous demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RECK surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany. In a document dated 1292, a certain "Heinricus dictus Reck" is mentioned, indicating the use of the surname at that time.
The RECK name also appears in various medieval records and manuscripts from different regions of Germany. For example, in the 14th century, a "Conrad Recke" is documented in the records of the city of Cologne. Additionally, the name is found in various place names across Germany, such as Reckenfeld and Recklinghausen, further suggesting its longstanding presence in the region.
Notable individuals with the RECK surname throughout history include Johann Reck (1551-1636), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who played a significant role in the religious conflicts of the 16th century. Another prominent figure was Ernst von Reck (1805-1848), a Prussian explorer and naturalist who led expeditions to the Australian outback and documented the flora and fauna of the region.
In the realm of literature, Hans Reck (1877-1945) was a German author and poet known for his works depicting rural life in Bavaria. His contemporary, Richard Reck (1887-1936), was a German film director and screenwriter who contributed to the early years of German cinema.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the RECK surname in the English-speaking world can be traced back to Johann Jacob Reck, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 18th century. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States, contributing to the spread and diversification of the RECK name in the country.
While the RECK surname is primarily associated with German origins, it has also been adopted and adapted in various other cultures and regions over the centuries, further enriching its historical and linguistic tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reck
Among Census respondents with the surname Reck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Reck 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 Reck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 2,471
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 75
- Two or more races1.7% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 35
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reck
Reck 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
#10,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,155
+333 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 234 places
2020
#11,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,640
-515 bearers (-16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 1,194 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,449 | 2,822 | 1.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,215 | 3,155 | 1.07 | +333 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 234 places |
| 2020 | #11,409 | 2,640 | 0.88 | -515 bearers (-16.3%) | Down 1,194 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 Reck 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 | #10,215 | #11,409 | -11.7% |
| Count | 3,155 | 2,640 | -16.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 0.88 | -17.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reck bearers went from 3,155 to 2,640 (-16.3% change). The surname moved down 1,194 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,215 to #11,409.
FAQ
Reck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reck?
Name Census estimates that about 3,027 living Americans carry the surname Reck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,232 residents.
How common is Reck?
Reck ranks #11,409 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 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 2,640 people with the surname Reck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 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 Reck.
Has Reck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reck went from 3,155 recorded bearers to 2,640. That is a decrease of 515 (-16.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,215 to #11,409.
What does the Census say about the background of Reck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reck, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Reck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (2,471 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Reck (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 Reck mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a brave or heroic individual, derived from the Middle High German word "recke". 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 Reck (0.88 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 have the last name Reck?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Reck at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.