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

Remy, 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 Remy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Remy in America

Remy is the 8681st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Remy surname appeared 3,784 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 Remy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Remy 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 Remy

The surname Remy has its origins in France, with earliest recorded instances dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Latin personal name Remigius, meaning "rower" or "oarsman". This name was borne by a 5th century saint who became the Bishop of Reims and played a pivotal role in the conversion of Clovis, the pagan king of the Franks, to Christianity.

The earliest known bearer of the name Remy was Hincmar, Archbishop of Reims in the 9th century. He is recorded in medieval charters and chronicles as Hincmarus Remigius, reflecting his veneration for the patron saint of Reims. The name was also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded the names of landholders in England after the Norman Conquest.

In its early forms, the name was often spelled as Remi or Remy in various regions of France. It was particularly prevalent in the northern provinces, such as Picardy and Normandy, where it was associated with several noble families and landowners. One notable figure was Rémy Belleau (1528-1577), a French poet and member of the literary group known as the Pléiade.

During the Middle Ages, the name Remy was also found in various parts of Europe, including Germany, where it was rendered as Remigius or Remich. This was likely due to the spread of Christianity and the influence of the cult of St. Remigius. In England, the name was introduced by Norman settlers after the Conquest and was sometimes anglicized as Remington or Remmington.

Other notable bearers of the name Remy include Rémy de Gourmont (1858-1915), a French novelist and literary critic, and Rémy Gaillard (born 1975), a French humorist and prankster known for his public stunts. In the United States, Remy Martin (1853-1926) was a famous French-American distiller who established the Remy Martin Cognac house.

Throughout its history, the surname Remy has maintained a strong association with its French origins and the figure of St. Remigius, reflecting its deep roots in the religious and cultural traditions of medieval Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Remy

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

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

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

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