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

Reef, 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 Reef surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reef in America

Reef is the 38214th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reef surname appeared 580 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Reef.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reef 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 Reef

The surname "REEF" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "reaf," which meant "spoil" or "plunder." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who was a plunderer or a raider.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Reaf." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land and property ownership in England.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Refe" and "Reeve," which were likely different spellings of the same surname. These variations suggest that the name may have also been associated with the Old English word "gerefa," meaning "reeve" or "bailiff."

During the 14th century, the name began to take on its more modern spelling of "Reef." One notable bearer of this surname was Sir John Reef (c. 1320-1390), a knight and landowner from Oxfordshire.

In the 16th century, the name "Reef" appeared in several historical records, including the Parish Registers of Stratford-upon-Avon. One notable figure from this era was William Reef (c. 1550-1620), a merchant from London.

In the 17th century, the surname "Reef" was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire and Gloucestershire. One prominent individual with this name was Sir Edward Reef (1632-1703), a Member of Parliament and landowner from Gloucestershire.

The 18th century saw the surname "Reef" spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Robert Reef (1735-1810), a Scottish philosopher and academic.

As the centuries progressed, the surname "Reef" continued to be found throughout the United Kingdom and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in various fields, such as politics, academia, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reef

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!