2000
#11,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,649
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Reding
Derived from a place name referring to someone living near a clearing in the reeds.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,840 Americans carry the last name Reding. That puts it at #12,031 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,688 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reding 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 Reding with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 120,688
Census rank
#12,031
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,477 bearers of the surname Reding in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12031st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reding, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reding
The surname REDING is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "reding," which refers to a clearing in a forest or a patch of land that has been cleared for cultivation. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived or worked on such a cleared area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name REDING can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a John de Redinge, while the Patent Rolls of 1292 reference a Thomas de Redynge. These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name over time.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries mentioning places with names similar to REDING, such as Redingis and Redingafeld, which may have contributed to the development of the surname.
One notable historical figure with the surname REDING was Sir Robert Reding (c. 1325-1395), a prominent English knight who fought alongside the Black Prince during the Hundred Years' War. He was also a member of Parliament and held various important positions in the royal court.
Another person of note was John Reding (c. 1540-1616), an English Catholic priest and writer who spent much of his life in exile during the Reformation due to his religious beliefs.
In the 17th century, there was a Sir Benjamin Reding (1628-1702), a member of the English gentry who served as a justice of the peace in Oxfordshire.
During the 18th century, the name REDING gained prominence in Switzerland, where it is believed to have been introduced by English or German settlers. One famous Swiss figure with this surname was Aloys von Reding (1755-1818), a military leader and statesman who played a significant role in the Swiss struggle for independence during the French Revolutionary Wars.
Another important individual was Sir Robert Reding (1788-1858), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse origins of the surname REDING, which has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, ranging from military leaders and politicians to religious figures and members of the gentry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reding
Among Census respondents with the surname Reding, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Reding 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 Reding surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 2,194
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 151
- Two or more races3.1% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 23
- Black or African American0.8% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reding
Reding 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
#12,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,574
-75 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 1,096 places
2020
#12,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,477
-97 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 77 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,012 | 2,649 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,108 | 2,574 | 0.87 | -75 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,096 places |
| 2020 | #12,031 | 2,477 | 0.83 | -97 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 77 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 Reding 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 | #12,108 | #12,031 | 0.6% |
| Count | 2,574 | 2,477 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.83 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reding bearers went from 2,574 to 2,477 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 77 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,108 to #12,031.
FAQ
Reding surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reding?
Name Census estimates that about 2,840 living Americans carry the surname Reding. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,688 residents.
How common is Reding?
Reding ranks #12,031 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,477 people with the surname Reding. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,840), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Reding.
Has Reding become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reding went from 2,574 recorded bearers to 2,477. That is a decrease of 97 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,108 to #12,031.
What does the Census say about the background of Reding?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reding, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (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 Reding in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (2,194 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reding appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (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 Reding (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 Reding mean?
Derived from a place name referring to someone living near a clearing in the reeds. 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 Reding (0.83 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 Reding?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Reding at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.