2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rehs
A surname derived from a location, likely a town or village name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Rehs. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rehs 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Rehs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehs, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rehs
The surname REHS is of German origin and dates back to the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "rehs," which means a small stream or brook. The name likely originated in the regions of southern Germany, where many small streams and rivers flow through the countryside.
The earliest recorded mentions of the name REHS can be found in medieval German records and documents from the 12th and 13th centuries. It often appeared as a descriptive name, referring to individuals who lived near or worked with small streams and brooks.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Konrad Rehs, a miller from the town of Mainz in the Rhineland region of Germany, who was born around 1250. He is mentioned in local tax records from the late 13th century.
In the 15th century, the name REHS can be found in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria. A certain Hans Rehs, a farmer and landowner, is documented in the town's archives from the year 1472.
During the 16th century, the name spread to other regions of Germany, as well as to neighboring countries like Switzerland and Austria. One notable bearer of the name was Johannes Rehs, a Protestant theologian and scholar from Saxony, who lived from 1524 to 1599.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, several members of the REHS family were involved in the brewing industry in the German states. Johann Rehs (1632-1701) was a prominent brewer in the city of Nuremberg, and his son, Georg Rehs (1665-1732), continued the family business and became a respected figure in the local community.
As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Rehse, Rees, and Reisch. One notable bearer of a variant spelling was the German philosopher and mathematician Erasmus Reinhold (originally Erasmus Reinholt or Reinholdus), who lived from 1511 to 1553 and made significant contributions to the field of astronomy.
Over the centuries, the REHS surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, from millers and farmers to brewers, scholars, and artisans. While it may not be as widely known as some other German surnames, it has a rich history and a significant presence in the historical records of various regions of Germany and neighboring countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rehs
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehs, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rehs 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 Rehs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 112
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rehs
Rehs 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 320 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 680 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 320 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 680 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 Rehs 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 | #142,108 | #142,788 | -0.5% |
| Count | 117 | 119 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rehs bearers went from 117 to 119 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 680 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #142,788.
FAQ
Rehs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rehs?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Rehs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Rehs?
Rehs ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Rehs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Rehs.
Has Rehs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rehs went from 117 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Rehs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rehs, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Rehs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rehs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Rehs (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 Rehs mean?
A surname derived from a location, likely a town or village name. 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 Rehs (0.04 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 people have the surname Rehs?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.