2000
#9,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,054
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Reeser
An occupational surname for someone who harvests or processes rushes, a type of wetland plant used for weaving.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,166 Americans carry the last name Reeser. That puts it at #11,001 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,261 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reeser 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.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 108,261
Census rank
#11,001
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,761 bearers of the surname Reeser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11001st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reeser, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reeser
The surname "REESER" is believed to have originated in Germany, where it first appeared in the early 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "reiser," which means "traveler" or "wanderer." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who frequently traveled or led a nomadic lifestyle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town of Reisenhausen, located in the region of Bavaria, Germany. In a church register from 1532, a man named Hans Reeser is listed as a resident of the village. It is possible that the name was originally a descriptive nickname that later became a hereditary surname.
The name "REESER" also shares similarities with the German word "reisen," which means "to travel." This further supports the theory that the name was originally associated with individuals who were known for their travels or migration patterns.
Historical records indicate that the name gradually spread from its origins in Bavaria to other regions of Germany, as well as neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland. By the 17th and 18th centuries, the name had become more widely established across various parts of Central Europe.
One notable figure who bore the surname "REESER" was Johann Reeser (1632-1704), a German composer and organist who was active in the late 17th century. He served as the court organist for the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg and composed numerous works for the organ and other instruments.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Reeser (1791-1868), a German lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the Revolutions of 1848. He was a prominent advocate for liberal reforms and played an influential role in the political debates of his time.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "REESER" was Jacob Reeser (1754-1831), who was born in Pennsylvania to German immigrant parents. He served as a private in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Another notable American with this surname was Charles Reeser (1860-1932), a businessman and politician from Ohio. He served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and was involved in various business ventures, including the steel and coal industries.
Lastly, Wilhelmina Reeser (1881-1961) was a Dutch-American artist and illustrator who was known for her work in children's literature. She illustrated several books and contributed illustrations to various publications throughout her career.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reeser
Among Census respondents with the surname Reeser, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Reeser 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 Reeser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 2,560
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 88
- Two or more races2.8% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 22
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reeser
Reeser 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
#9,890
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,270
+216 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 118 places
2020
#11,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,761
-509 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 1,111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,772 | 3,054 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,890 | 3,270 | 1.11 | +216 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 118 places |
| 2020 | #11,001 | 2,761 | 0.92 | -509 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 1,111 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 Reeser 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 | #9,890 | #11,001 | -11.2% |
| Count | 3,270 | 2,761 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 0.92 | -16.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reeser bearers went from 3,270 to 2,761 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 1,111 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,890 to #11,001.
FAQ
Reeser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reeser?
Name Census estimates that about 3,166 living Americans carry the surname Reeser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,261 residents.
How common is Reeser?
Reeser ranks #11,001 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,761 people with the surname Reeser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,166), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Reeser.
Has Reeser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reeser went from 3,270 recorded bearers to 2,761. That is a decrease of 509 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,890 to #11,001.
What does the Census say about the background of Reeser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reeser, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Reeser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,560 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reeser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Reeser (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 Reeser mean?
An occupational surname for someone who harvests or processes rushes, a type of wetland plant used for weaving. 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 Reeser (0.92 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 Americans have the surname Reeser?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.