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

Reist, 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 Reist surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reist in America

Reist is the 32792nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reist surname appeared 700 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Reist.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reist 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 Reist

The surname REIST is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century in the regions of Bavaria and Württemberg. It is derived from the German word "Reise," which means "journey" or "travel," suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with individuals whose occupations involved frequent travel or migration.

During the Middle Ages, the name REIST appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the 16th-century tax records of the city of Augsburg. One notable mention is found in the Göppingen Church Register of 1578, where a certain Hans Reist is documented as a resident of the town.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname REIST can be traced back to 1419, when a man named Ulrich Reist was mentioned in the records of the town of Nürnberg (Nuremberg). This suggests that the name had already been established and in use by the early 15th century.

In the 17th century, the name REIST was also found in the records of the city of Bern, Switzerland, indicating that the name had spread beyond the German borders. One prominent individual bearing this surname was Johann Reist (1624-1687), a renowned theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Bern.

Another notable figure was Heinrich Reist (1785-1854), a Swiss politician and military officer who played a significant role in the Swiss Federal War of 1847. He served as the commander of the Bernese troops during the conflict.

The name REIST also has a connection to place names in Germany and Switzerland. The village of Reistingen, located in the district of Günzburg in Bavaria, is believed to be derived from the surname, suggesting that it may have been founded or established by individuals bearing this name.

In the 19th century, the surname REIST gained recognition through the work of Rudolf Reist (1841-1909), a Swiss architect and sculptor who designed several notable buildings in Bern, including the Kirchenfeld Bridge and the Eidgenössisches Archiv für Denkmalpflege (Federal Office for Heritage Protection).

Throughout history, the surname REIST has also been associated with various spellings and variations, such as Reister, Reistle, and Reistlin, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of different areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reist

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

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

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

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