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

Resh, 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 Resh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Resh in America

Resh is the 22791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Resh surname appeared 1,124 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 Resh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Resh 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 Resh

The surname RESH is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the Old German word "risch," which means "reed" or "rush." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a reed bed or marshland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RESH surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. In this record, a man named Henricus Risch is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.

Another early reference to the name appears in the Breviarium Merseburgense, a 13th-century manuscript from the city of Merseburg, where a certain Theodoricus Resh is listed as a member of the local clergy.

In the 14th century, the RESH surname began to spread beyond its original German roots. Records from this time show individuals with this name living in various parts of Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, Bohemia, and Austria.

One notable bearer of the RESH surname was Johannes Resh (1420-1492), a German scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig. He was known for his work on the translation and interpretation of biblical texts.

Another prominent figure was Christoph Resh (1542-1612), a German composer and organist who worked in the city of Dresden. He was celebrated for his contributions to the development of Protestant church music during the Reformation era.

In the 16th century, the RESH surname also made its way to the British Isles, likely brought over by German immigrants. One of the earliest recorded instances in England is found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where a William Resh is listed as having been married in 1587.

A notable English bearer of the RESH surname was Sir John Resh (1617-1688), a Member of Parliament and landowner from Hertfordshire. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, serving as a colonel in the Parliamentary forces.

As the centuries passed, the RESH surname continued to spread and evolve, with various spellings and variations emerging in different regions. Some of these include Resch, Roesch, and Rish, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Resh

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

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

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

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