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

Reser, 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 Reser surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reser in America

Reser is the 18144th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reser surname appeared 1,534 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 Reser.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reser 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 Reser

The surname RESER has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the late medieval period in Central Europe. It is believed to have derived from the German word "reiser," which means "traveler" or "wanderer." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who frequently traveled or were known for their wanderlust.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RESER can be found in the historical records of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the 15th century. In a document from 1472, a certain Hans Reser is mentioned as a merchant and trader who frequently traveled along the trade routes of the Holy Roman Empire.

The name RESER also appears in various church records and tax registers from the 16th and 17th centuries in regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg. These records often include variations in spelling, such as Reiser, Reyser, and Reyszer, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

One notable figure with the surname RESER was Johann Reser (1572-1638), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig. His works on ethics and moral philosophy were widely influential during the Protestant Reformation.

In the 18th century, a branch of the RESER family settled in the Alsace region of France, where they adopted the French spelling "Reser." Jean-Baptiste Reser (1738-1803) was a prominent architect from Strasbourg who designed several churches and public buildings in the Alsatian style.

Another significant figure was Karl Reser (1815-1892), a German-born engineer and industrialist who immigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century. He founded the Reser Engineering Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which played a pivotal role in the development of early steam engines and industrial machinery.

As the RESER family dispersed across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, the surname continued to evolve and adapt to local linguistic and cultural influences. However, its origins can be traced back to the wandering travelers and merchants of medieval Germany, reflecting the rich history and diversity of this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reser

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

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

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

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