2000
#2,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,283
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.55
Uncommon Last name
Reich
A German toponymic surname indicating someone from a settlement or territory ruled by a monarch.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,208 Americans carry the last name Reich. That puts it at #2,828 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,124 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reich 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Reich with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,124
Census rank
#2,828
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,390 bearers of the surname Reich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2828th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reich
The surname REICH originated in Germany and its earliest records date back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old High German word "rihhi" which means "ruler" or "king". It is closely related to the modern German word "reich" which translates to "rich" or "wealthy".
In the medieval period, the name REICH was often associated with individuals who held positions of power or authority within their communities. Some of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in old German manuscripts and local records from towns and villages across central Europe.
One notable early bearer of the name REICH was Hermann Reich, a prominent merchant and trader who lived in the city of Nuremberg during the late 15th century. His successful business ventures and wealth earned him a degree of influence and respect among the city's elite.
Another historically significant individual with the surname REICH was Johann Reich, a Protestant reformer and theologian who lived in the 16th century. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther and played an important role in the early years of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
In the 17th century, a branch of the REICH family settled in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. One member of this family, Friedrich Wilhelm Reich, served as a military officer under King Frederick the Great and fought in the Seven Years' War from 1756 to 1763.
As the REICH surname spread throughout Germany and into neighboring countries, it also became associated with various place names and regional variations in spelling. For example, the name was sometimes recorded as "Reiche" or "Reych" in certain areas.
Other notable individuals with the surname REICH include the 19th century German composer Wilhelm Reich, the 20th century psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, and the contemporary German artist Petra Reich, who is known for her large-scale public installations and sculptures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reich
Among Census respondents with the surname Reich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Reich 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 Reich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 11,293
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 464
- Two or more races2.9% · 358
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 91
- Black or African American0.6% · 76
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reich
Reich 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
#2,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,891
+608 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 4.37
Rank movement Down 100 places
2020
#2,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,390
-501 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 4.15
Rank movement Down 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,696 | 12,283 | 4.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,796 | 12,891 | 4.37 | +608 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 100 places |
| 2020 | #2,828 | 12,390 | 4.15 | -501 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 32 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 Reich 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 | #2,796 | #2,828 | -1.1% |
| Count | 12,891 | 12,390 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.37 | 4.15 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reich bearers went from 12,891 to 12,390 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,796 to #2,828.
FAQ
Reich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reich?
Name Census estimates that about 14,208 living Americans carry the surname Reich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,124 residents.
How common is Reich?
Reich ranks #2,828 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,390 people with the surname Reich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,208), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Reich.
Has Reich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reich went from 12,891 recorded bearers to 12,390. That is a decrease of 501 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,796 to #2,828.
What does the Census say about the background of Reich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reich, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Reich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (11,293 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Reich (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 Reich mean?
A German toponymic surname indicating someone from a settlement or territory ruled by a monarch. 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 Reich (4.15 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 Reich?
You can see how many people have the last name Reich on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.