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

Reith, 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 Reith surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reith in America

Reith is the 15663rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reith surname appeared 1,864 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Reith.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reith 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 Reith

The surname Reith has its origins in Scotland and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "rith," meaning a small stream or rivulet. This suggests that the name likely originated as a locational name for someone who lived near a small stream or brook.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reith can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists people who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This document includes the name "Wautier de Rethe," suggesting the name was already in use in Scotland by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the surname Reith appeared in various Scottish records, such as the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, where a "John Reith" is mentioned in 1549. The name was also found in the Parish Registers of Perthshire, where a "Robert Reith" was recorded in 1616.

The surname Reith has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sir John Reith (1889-1971), a Scottish broadcaster and the first Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). He played a crucial role in shaping the early days of the BBC and is widely regarded as a pioneer in public service broadcasting.

Another notable figure was John Reith (1836-1914), a Scottish civil engineer and inventor. He is credited with designing and constructing the Forth Bridge in Scotland, one of the most significant engineering achievements of the 19th century.

In the 17th century, a "John Reith" was listed as a landowner in the Scottish County of Fife in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland in 1632. This suggests that the Reith family had achieved a certain level of prominence and land ownership by that time.

The Reith surname can also be traced back to places like Perthshire and Fife in Scotland, where it was likely derived from local place names containing the word "rith" or variations of it, such as "Rethy" or "Reithy."

Furthermore, in the 18th century, a "James Reith" was recorded as a merchant in Edinburgh in the records of the Merchant Company of Edinburgh, indicating the family's involvement in trade and commerce.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reith

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

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

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

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