2000
#7,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Reidy
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Ríoghbhardáin," meaning "descendant of Ríoghbhardán," a personal name composed of elements meaning "royal bard."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,611 Americans carry the last name Reidy. That puts it at #7,916 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,334 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reidy 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 Reidy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,334
Census rank
#7,916
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,021 bearers of the surname Reidy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7916th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reidy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reidy
The surname Reidy originates from Ireland, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is an anglicized variant of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Riada," which means "descendant of Riada." The name is derived from the personal name Riada, which is believed to have its origins in the Old Irish word "riad," meaning "gray" or "brindled."
Reidy is primarily associated with County Clare, a region located in the west of Ireland. The name has a strong historical presence in this area, with records indicating that the Ó Riada clan held significant influence and power in the region during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle compiled by Irish monks in the 12th century. The annals mention several individuals bearing the name Ó Riada, including Domhnall Ó Riada, who is recorded as having died in the year 1099.
In the 16th century, the Reidy family played a prominent role in the Gaelic resistance against the English conquest of Ireland. Notably, Conor Ó Riada, a chieftain from County Clare, is documented as having participated in the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, a significant conflict between the Irish and English forces.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Reidy. One such figure was Seán Ó Riada (1919-1971), an influential Irish composer and musician who played a pivotal role in the revival of traditional Irish music in the 20th century.
Another notable Reidy was Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin (c. 1748-1784), a renowned Irish poet and scribe from County Cork. His works, which were written in the Irish language, provide valuable insights into the cultural and linguistic traditions of 18th-century Ireland.
In the realm of literature, Ó Riada Muiris (1864-1944), a renowned Irish language writer and scholar, made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of the Irish language through his writings and advocacy.
The name Reidy has also appeared in various forms throughout history, including Ó Riada, O'Reidy, and O'Riedy, reflecting the evolution and adaptation of the name over time.
It is worth noting that while the surname Reidy is predominantly associated with Ireland, it has also gained a presence in other parts of the world due to Irish emigration and diaspora. However, the historical roots and significance of the name remain deeply intertwined with the rich cultural heritage of County Clare and the broader Irish tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reidy
Among Census respondents with the surname Reidy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Reidy 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 Reidy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 3,689
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 146
- Two or more races3.1% · 123
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 41
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reidy
Reidy 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
#7,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,193
+34 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 508 places
2020
#7,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,021
-172 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,388 | 4,159 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,896 | 4,193 | 1.42 | +34 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 508 places |
| 2020 | #7,916 | 4,021 | 1.35 | -172 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 20 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 Reidy 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 | #7,896 | #7,916 | -0.3% |
| Count | 4,193 | 4,021 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.42 | 1.35 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reidy bearers went from 4,193 to 4,021 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,896 to #7,916.
FAQ
Reidy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reidy?
Name Census estimates that about 4,611 living Americans carry the surname Reidy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,334 residents.
How common is Reidy?
Reidy ranks #7,916 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,021 people with the surname Reidy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,611), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Reidy.
Has Reidy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reidy went from 4,193 recorded bearers to 4,021. That is a decrease of 172 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,896 to #7,916.
What does the Census say about the background of Reidy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reidy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Reidy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (3,689 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reidy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Reidy (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 Reidy mean?
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Ríoghbhardáin," meaning "descendant of Ríoghbhardán," a personal name composed of elements meaning "royal bard." 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 Reidy (1.35 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 last name Reidy?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Reidy, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.