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

Rek, 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 Rek surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rek in America

Rek is the 133863rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rek surname appeared 126 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 Rek.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rek 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 Rek

The surname REK is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Yorkshire. It is likely derived from the Old English word "rec," which means "smoke" or "reek," suggesting a possible occupational origin for someone who worked in a smoky environment, such as a blacksmith or baker.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name REK can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry refers to a certain "Radulfus Rec" who held lands in Yorkshire at that time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Reke," "Rek," and "Rekke," as evidenced by records from the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and other medieval documents.

Notable individuals bearing the surname REK throughout history include:

1. Sir John Rek (c. 1350-1415), a prominent English soldier and landowner who served under King Henry IV during the latter part of the Hundred Years' War.

2. William Rek (c. 1420-1489), an English merchant and alderman of London who was active in the wool trade and served as a Member of Parliament for the City of London.

3. Elizabeth Rek (c. 1550-1620), a renowned English herbalist and apothecary who authored several books on the medicinal properties of plants and herbs.

4. Samuel Rek (1635-1701), a Dutch-born English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Ely from 1691 until his death.

5. Thomas Rek (1782-1856), an English industrialist and inventor credited with developing an early version of the power loom, which revolutionized the textile industry in the 19th century.

It is worth noting that the surname REK has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Rekesby (now spelled Rexby) in Yorkshire and Rekeford (now Rexford) in Gloucestershire, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have derived their surname from these locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rek

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

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

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

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