2000
#65
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 267,443
First available Census row
Per 100,000 99.14
Common Last name
Reed
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with reeds.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 307,992 Americans carry the last name Reed. That puts it at #75 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 89.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,113 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reed 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 Reed with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
308K
1 in 1,113
Census rank
#75
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
89.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
269K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 268,584 bearers of the surname Reed in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 89.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 75th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reed, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reed
The surname REED is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "reed" or "reod," which referred to the tall, slender grass-like plant commonly found growing near bodies of water. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a reed bed or marshland area.
The earliest known record of the surname REED dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, where it appeared as "Radulfus Reed" in 1195. This suggests that the name was already in use as a surname by this time period.
During the 13th century, various spellings of the name were recorded, including "Rede," "Reede," and "Redde," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in areas with marshlands or wetlands, such as the counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Somerset.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname REED was John Rede, who was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir Robert Rede, a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London, who lived from circa 1380 to 1419.
In the 16th century, the surname REED was found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1524, where a Richard Reed was listed. Around this time, the name was also associated with several place names, such as Reedham in Norfolk and Reedley in Lancashire, which may have contributed to the further spread of the surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname REED. One example is Walter Reed (1851-1902), an American Army physician who made significant contributions to the understanding and prevention of yellow fever and malaria. Another is Sir Carol Reed (1906-1976), an English film director known for classics like "The Third Man" and "Oliver!"
Other famous individuals with the surname REED include Lou Reed (1942-2013), an American musician and songwriter who was a founding member of the influential rock band The Velvet Underground, and Isadora Reed (1891-1960), an American actress and dancer who was a pioneer of modern dance.
The surname REED has a rich history spanning centuries and continues to be a prevalent surname in many parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the descriptive nature of the name, reflecting the close connection between people and the natural environment in which they lived.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reed
Among Census respondents with the surname Reed, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Reed 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 Reed surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.5% · 184,098
- Black or African American21.9% · 58,771
- Two or more races4.7% · 12,598
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 8,759
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 2,556
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1,802
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reed
Reed 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
#73
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 277,030
+9,587 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 93.92
Rank movement Down 8 places
2020
#75
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 268,584
-8,446 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 89.86
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #65 | 267,443 | 99.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #73 | 277,030 | 93.92 | +9,587 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 8 places |
| 2020 | #75 | 268,584 | 89.86 | -8,446 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 2 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 Reed 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 | #73 | #75 | -2.7% |
| Count | 277,030 | 268,584 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 93.92 | 89.86 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reed bearers went from 277,030 to 268,584 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #73 to #75.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Reed
FAQ
Reed surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reed?
Name Census estimates that about 307,992 living Americans carry the surname Reed. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,113 residents.
How common is Reed?
Reed ranks #75 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 89.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 90 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 268,584 people with the surname Reed. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (307,992), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 89.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 89.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 90 of them to have the surname Reed.
Has Reed become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reed went from 277,030 recorded bearers to 268,584. That is a decrease of 8,446 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #73 to #75.
What does the Census say about the background of Reed?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reed, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Reed in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.5% (184,098 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reed appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.5%), Black (21.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Reed (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 Reed mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with 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 Reed (89.86 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 surname Reed?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.