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

Reid, 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 Reid surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reid in America

Reid is the 275th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reid surname appeared 111,360 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 38 people would have the surname Reid.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reid 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 Reid

The surname Reid has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "read," meaning red or ruddy complexion. The name may have been originally given as a nickname to someone with a reddish complexion or red hair.

In the early 13th century, the name is recorded in various charters and documents, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Adam Reid, who witnessed a charter in Berwick in 1248.

The Reid surname is also associated with several place names in Scotland, including Reidhaven in Kincardineshire and Reidswire in Dumfriesshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Reid family played a prominent role in Scottish history. Sir Robert Reid (1510-1558) was a prominent diplomat and served as the Lord Privy Seal of Scotland under Mary, Queen of Scots. Another notable figure was Thomas Reid (1710-1796), a philosopher and founder of the Scottish School of Common Sense.

In the literary world, Iain Reid (born 1976) is a Canadian writer and author of the acclaimed novel "I'm Thinking of Ending Things." Thomas Mayne Reid (1818-1883) was an Irish-American novelist known for his adventure novels set in the American West.

Other notable individuals with the surname Reid include Sir George Reid (1841-1909), an Australian politician and Prime Minister of Australia from 1904 to 1905, and Alistair Reid (1926-2014), a Scottish-American poet and scholar.

The Reid surname has a rich history and has been prominent in various fields, including politics, philosophy, literature, and diplomacy. Its Scottish origins and association with place names have contributed to its distinct identity and enduring legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reid

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!