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

Reddy, 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 Reddy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reddy in America

Reddy is the 2858th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reddy surname appeared 12,614 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Reddy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reddy 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 Reddy

The surname Reddy has its roots in India, specifically in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It originated as an occupational name for farmers or cultivators, derived from the Telugu word "reddi," which means "cultivator" or "landowner."

The earliest recorded use of the name Reddy can be traced back to the 9th century AD, during the reign of the Kalyani Chalukya dynasty in the Deccan region. It was initially used by members of the Kapu community, which was predominantly involved in agriculture and land cultivation.

In the 13th century, the Reddy dynasty, also known as the Reddi Kingdom, ruled over parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This dynasty was founded by Prolaya Vema Reddy, who established the kingdom in the region around present-day Kurnool. The Reddy rulers played a significant role in the cultural and economic development of the region, and their influence led to the further spread of the surname.

One of the earliest known references to the name Reddy can be found in the inscriptions and copper plate grants issued by the Reddy dynasty rulers during their reign. These historical records provide valuable insights into the use and significance of the surname during that period.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Reddy include:

1. Prolaya Vema Reddy (c. 1325 - 1368), the founder of the Reddy dynasty.
2. Gona Ganna Reddy (c. 1350 - 1414), a prominent ruler of the Reddy dynasty known for his administrative reforms.
3. Kapaya Nayaka Reddy (c. 1490 - 1542), a military commander and chieftain during the Vijayanagar Empire.
4. Potti Sreeramulu (1901 - 1952), a revolutionary and freedom fighter who led the "Vivisection of Madras Province" movement for the creation of Andhra Pradesh.
5. Kasu Brahmananda Reddy (1909 - 1994), the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh after its formation in 1956.

The surname Reddy has also been associated with various place names and older spellings of place names in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regions. For example, the town of Reddigudem in Andhra Pradesh and the Reddy Palle village in Telangana are believed to have derived their names from the Reddy community or individuals with the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reddy

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

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

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

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