2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Reesey
A variant or diminutive of the English surname Reece, meaning ardent or enthusiastic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Reesey. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reesey 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Reesey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reesey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reesey
The surname "REESEY" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name "Reesey" or "Reaseheath," both of which refer to areas in the county of Cheshire. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "rysc" meaning "rush" and "haeþ" meaning "heath," suggesting it may have been a place where rushes grew abundantly.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Resehet." This historical record provides valuable insight into the name's origins and its presence in England during the Norman conquest.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Robert de Reesey, who lived in Cheshire in the 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir John Reesey, a knight from Lancashire who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Resey," "Reasy," and "Reasey." During this time, William Reesey, born in 1542, was a prominent landowner in Staffordshire, owning lands in the village of Reaseheath.
The 17th century saw the emergence of Edward Reesey, a renowned scholar and theologian born in 1620 in Oxfordshire. He authored several influential works on religious philosophy and served as a fellow at Oxford University.
In the 18th century, the name gained further prominence with Thomas Reesey, born in 1712 in Cheshire. He was a successful merchant and philanthropist, known for his charitable contributions to the local community.
Another noteworthy individual was William Reesey, born in 1789 in Derbyshire. He was a renowned architect and civil engineer, responsible for designing many notable buildings and infrastructure projects across England during the Industrial Revolution.
These examples showcase the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have borne the surname "REESEY" throughout the centuries, reflecting its English roots and the notable contributions of its bearers to various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reesey
Among Census respondents with the surname Reesey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Reesey 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 Reesey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reesey
Reesey 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,151 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,317 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 14,151 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,317 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 Reesey 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 | #154,907 | #153,590 | 0.9% |
| Count | 105 | 104 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reesey bearers went from 105 to 104 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,317 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #153,590.
FAQ
Reesey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reesey?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Reesey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Reesey?
Reesey ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Reesey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Reesey.
Has Reesey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reesey went from 105 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Reesey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reesey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Reesey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reesey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Reesey (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 Reesey mean?
A variant or diminutive of the English surname Reece, meaning ardent or enthusiastic. 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 Reesey (0.03 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 common is the surname Reesey?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Reesey is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.