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

Reeves, 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 Reeves surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reeves in America

Reeves is the 390th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reeves surname appeared 81,978 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 28 people would have the surname Reeves.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reeves 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 Reeves

The surname Reeves is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word "gerefa," which means "bailiff" or "reeve." A reeve was an official appointed to oversee land and collect rents or taxes on behalf of a lord or king. The name originated in the 11th century during the Anglo-Saxon period in England.

While the earliest recorded instance of the surname Reeves is not definitively known, it is believed to have first appeared in various records, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was likely initially used as a descriptive term for a person's occupation before becoming a hereditary surname.

In the Middle Ages, the surname Reeves was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. It was also found in other parts of the country, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The name has undergone several variations in spelling over the centuries, including Reve, Reave, Reeve, and Reves, among others.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Reeves was John Reeves, a 14th-century English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1384 to 1396. Another historical figure was William Reeves, born in 1667, who was a prominent English mathematician and inventor known for his contributions to the development of early calculating machines.

In the 19th century, John Reeves (1774-1856) was a British botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of Chinese flora and fauna. He is particularly renowned for his work on the "Plantae Wilsonianae," a collection of plant specimens from China.

Arthur Reeves (1856-1942) was an English actor and playwright who wrote numerous successful plays during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including "The Conquerors" and "The Unchastened Woman."

Martha Reeves (born 1941) is an American singer and former lead vocalist of the Motown vocal group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, known for hits such as "Dancing in the Street" and "(Love is Like a) Heat Wave."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reeves

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

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

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

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