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

Reese, 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 Reese surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reese in America

Reese is the 445th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reese surname appeared 73,919 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 25 people would have the surname Reese.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reese 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 Reese

The surname Reese originated in Wales, deriving from the Old Welsh personal name "Rhys," which itself comes from the Welsh word "rhys" meaning "ardor" or "zeal." The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire in South Wales.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in records as "Rees" and "Res." By the 15th century, the spelling had evolved to "Reese," which became the standard form. The name Reese is also found in some early English records, suggesting that Welsh settlers brought the name to England.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Rhys ap Gruffydd (c. 1132-1197), a Welsh prince and ruler of the kingdom of Deheubarth in South Wales. He was a prominent figure in the struggle against Norman English rule in Wales.

Another notable figure was Sir Rhys ap Thomas (c. 1449-1525), a Welsh soldier and landholder who played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses and helped secure the throne for Henry VII. He was rewarded with lands in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

In the 17th century, the surname Reese was well-established in Wales, with several prominent families bearing the name. One such family was the Reeses of Margam Park in Glamorgan, a wealthy and influential family of landowners and industrialists.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many Welsh families with the surname Reese emigrated to America, seeking economic opportunities and religious freedom. William Reese (1759-1836), a Welsh-American soldier, fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Pennsylvania.

In the 20th century, the name Reese gained further recognition through several notable individuals, including Richard Reese (1889-1970), an American football player and coach, and Della Reese (1931-2017), an American singer, actress, and ordained minister.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reese

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

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

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

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