2000
#3,312
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,911
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.67
Uncommon Last name
Reddy
Derived from a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion, or from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,634 Americans carry the last name Reddy. That puts it at #2,311 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,437 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reddy 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 Reddy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 19,437
Census rank
#2,311
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,378 bearers of the surname Reddy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2311th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reddy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 70.9%. The next largest groups are White (21.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reddy
Among Census respondents with the surname Reddy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 70.9%. The next largest groups are White (21.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Reddy 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 Reddy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander70.9% · 10,901
- White21.3% · 3,269
- Two or more races3.4% · 528
- Black or African American2.2% · 343
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 205
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 132
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reddy
Reddy 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
#2,858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,614
+2,703 bearers (+27.3%)
Per 100,000 4.28
Rank movement Up 454 places
2020
#2,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,378
+2,764 bearers (+21.9%)
Per 100,000 5.14
Rank movement Up 547 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,312 | 9,911 | 3.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,858 | 12,614 | 4.28 | +2,703 bearers (+27.3%) | Up 454 places |
| 2020 | #2,311 | 15,378 | 5.14 | +2,764 bearers (+21.9%) | Up 547 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 Reddy 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 | #2,858 | #2,311 | 19.1% |
| Count | 12,614 | 15,378 | 21.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.28 | 5.14 | 20.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reddy bearers went from 12,614 to 15,378 (+21.9% change). The surname moved up 547 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,858 to #2,311.
FAQ
Reddy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reddy?
Name Census estimates that about 17,634 living Americans carry the surname Reddy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,437 residents.
How common is Reddy?
Reddy ranks #2,311 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,378 people with the surname Reddy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,634), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Reddy.
Has Reddy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reddy went from 12,614 recorded bearers to 15,378. That is an increase of 2,764 (+21.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,858 to #2,311.
What does the Census say about the background of Reddy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reddy, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 70.9%. The next largest groups are White (21.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Reddy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.9% (10,901 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reddy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (70.9%), White (21.3%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Reddy (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 Reddy mean?
Derived from a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion, or from a place name. 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 Reddy (5.14 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 Americans have the surname Reddy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.