2000
#2,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,555
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.28
Uncommon Last name
Reedy
Referring to someone who lived near a reed bed or worked with reeds, such as a thatcher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,822 Americans carry the last name Reedy. That puts it at #3,144 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,732 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reedy 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 Reedy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,732
Census rank
#3,144
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,181 bearers of the surname Reedy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3144th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reedy, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reedy
The surname Reedy is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'reed', referring to the tall, slender grass-like plant that grows in wetlands and marshes. It likely emerged as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near an area abundant in reeds or who worked with reeds in some capacity.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Reedy can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. It was often spelled in a variety of ways, such as Reddy, Reddie, and Reddye, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.
One notable early reference to the surname Reedy is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John Redye. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 record a Robert le Redie, indicating the use of the surname in its more modern spelling.
In the 16th century, the surname Reedy appears in various parish records and tax rolls across England. For example, the Parish Registers of Weston-under-Lizard in Staffordshire mention a Thomas Reedy who was born in 1542. Similarly, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1524 list a William Reedy as a taxpayer.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Reedy have achieved notable prominence. One such figure was John Reedy (1644-1718), an English merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Bristol. Another was Thomas Reedy (1768-1835), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Order of the Bath for his valor.
In the literary world, the surname Reedy is associated with the American poet and novelist Alice Reedy (1892-1976), known for her works exploring the experiences of working-class women in the early 20th century. Additionally, George Reedy (1913-1999) was a prominent American journalist and political adviser who served as a speechwriter for President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The surname Reedy has also been carried by notable figures in the field of sports. For instance, William Reedy (1876-1955) was a British footballer who played for several clubs, including Manchester United and Preston North End, in the early years of the 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reedy
Among Census respondents with the surname Reedy, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Reedy 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 Reedy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 9,497
- Black or African American7.1% · 797
- Two or more races3.6% · 400
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 344
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reedy
Reedy 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
#3,017
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,884
+329 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 4.03
Rank movement Down 166 places
2020
#3,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,181
-703 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 3.74
Rank movement Down 127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,851 | 11,555 | 4.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,017 | 11,884 | 4.03 | +329 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 166 places |
| 2020 | #3,144 | 11,181 | 3.74 | -703 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 127 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 Reedy 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 | #3,017 | #3,144 | -4.2% |
| Count | 11,884 | 11,181 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.03 | 3.74 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reedy bearers went from 11,884 to 11,181 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 127 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,017 to #3,144.
FAQ
Reedy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reedy?
Name Census estimates that about 12,822 living Americans carry the surname Reedy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,732 residents.
How common is Reedy?
Reedy ranks #3,144 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.74 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 11,181 people with the surname Reedy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,822), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.74 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 Reedy.
Has Reedy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reedy went from 11,884 recorded bearers to 11,181. That is a decrease of 703 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,017 to #3,144.
What does the Census say about the background of Reedy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reedy, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Reedy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (9,497 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reedy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Black (7.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Reedy (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 Reedy mean?
Referring to someone who lived near a reed bed or worked with reeds, such as a thatcher. 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 Reedy (3.74 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 last name Reedy?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Reedy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.