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

Reger, 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 Reger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reger in America

Reger is the 10391st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reger surname appeared 3,101 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Reger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reger 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 Reger

The surname Reger has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "rëger," which means "mover" or "one who moves."

In its earliest recorded instances, the Reger surname was often spelled with variations such as Rëger, Reger, or Rager. These variations likely reflected regional dialects and the inconsistencies of spelling conventions at the time. The name may have initially referred to someone whose occupation involved movement or travel, such as a messenger, trader, or wandering minstrel.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Reger surname was Johannes Reger, a merchant from the city of Nuremberg, who was mentioned in records dating back to the late 15th century. Around the same time, the name also appeared in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a family of Regers were prominent citizens and landowners.

In the 16th century, the Reger name gained wider recognition with the birth of Max Reger (1873-1916), a renowned German composer, conductor, and pianist. Reger was a pivotal figure in the development of German Romantic music and is considered one of the most important composers of the late Romantic era.

Another notable bearer of the Reger surname was Johann Reger (1590-1635), a German theologian and author who served as a Protestant minister in the city of Ulm. His writings, which focused on religious and moral themes, were widely read and influential during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the Reger surname was further associated with academic and intellectual pursuits. One example is Ernst Reger (1804-1865), a German philologist and classical scholar who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature.

Another noteworthy figure was Otto Reger (1878-1945), a German architect and urban planner who played a crucial role in the design and development of several major cities in Germany, including Hamburg and Berlin.

While the Reger surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, the name remains most prevalent in German-speaking regions and among communities with German ancestry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reger

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

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

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

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