2000
#2,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,479
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.63
Uncommon Last name
Redd
An English surname derived from a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,524 Americans carry the last name Redd. That puts it at #2,772 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,599 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Redd 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 Redd with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 23,599
Census rank
#2,772
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,666 bearers of the surname Redd in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2772nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Redd, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.1%. The next largest groups are Black (41.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Redd
The surname Redd is of English origin, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "read," which means "red" or "ruddy," referring to someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Redd can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1195, where a certain William Redd is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century in England.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as Rede, Reade, and Reed, indicating the variations in spelling that were common during that time. The Hundred Rolls of 1275 mention a John le Rede from Oxfordshire, and the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 list a Thomas Rede.
The Domesday Book, a remarkable survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Redd. However, it does mention several individuals with the given name "Redwald," which may have served as a precursor to the later surname.
One notable figure from history who bore the surname Redd was Sir Robert Redd (c. 1510-1587), an English judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent individual was Sir Bartholomew Redd (c. 1560-1628), an English merchant and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the early colonization efforts of Virginia. He was part of the Virginia Company and helped finance the establishment of the Jamestown Colony.
In the literary world, William Redd (1676-1727) was an English poet and playwright known for his satirical works and collaborations with other notable writers of the time, such as Jonathan Swift.
During the American Revolutionary War, George Redd (1738-1813) served as a colonel in the Continental Army and fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of Monmouth.
Lastly, Mary Redd (1846-1922) was an American educator and activist who dedicated her life to promoting education for African American children in the post-Civil War era, establishing numerous schools and educational institutions in the South.
These examples illustrate the historical presence and prominence of the Redd surname across different fields and eras, from law and politics to literature, military service, and education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Redd
Among Census respondents with the surname Redd, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.1%. The next largest groups are Black (41.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Redd 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 Redd surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.1% · 6,217
- Black or African American41.8% · 5,298
- Two or more races5.1% · 650
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 387
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Redd
Redd 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
#2,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,119
+640 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 4.45
Rank movement Down 92 places
2020
#2,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,666
-453 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 4.24
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,657 | 12,479 | 4.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,749 | 13,119 | 4.45 | +640 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 92 places |
| 2020 | #2,772 | 12,666 | 4.24 | -453 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 23 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 Redd 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 | #2,749 | #2,772 | -0.8% |
| Count | 13,119 | 12,666 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 4.45 | 4.24 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Redd bearers went from 13,119 to 12,666 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,749 to #2,772.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Redd
FAQ
Redd surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Redd?
Name Census estimates that about 14,524 living Americans carry the surname Redd. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,599 residents.
How common is Redd?
Redd ranks #2,772 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,666 people with the surname Redd. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,524), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Redd.
Has Redd become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Redd went from 13,119 recorded bearers to 12,666. That is a decrease of 453 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,749 to #2,772.
What does the Census say about the background of Redd?
Among Census respondents with the surname Redd, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.1%. The next largest groups are Black (41.8%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Redd in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.1% (6,217 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Redd appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.1%), Black (41.8%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Redd (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 Redd mean?
An English surname derived from a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion. 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 Redd (4.24 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 Redd?
Find out how common the surname Redd is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.