2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Reven
A toponymic surname referring to someone from a place called Reven or Raven.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Reven. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reven surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Reven in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reven, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reven
The surname REVEN is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old English word "raefn," meaning "raven" or "crow." This name was likely given to someone who lived near a place frequented by these birds or perhaps someone who had a distinguishing physical feature that resembled a raven, such as dark hair or a hooked nose.
One of the earliest documented references to this surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and property values commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Rauene," a variation of the modern spelling.
In the 13th century, records show a Robert Raven residing in Gloucestershire, England. This early spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that time period before standardization became more common.
During the 14th century, the name REVEN appeared in various manorial records and tax rolls across different counties in England, indicating its widespread use. Notable examples include John Reven, a landowner in Oxfordshire in 1327, and William Reven, a taxpayer in Lincolnshire in 1379.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname REVEN was Sir John Reven (c. 1450-1524), a prominent English merchant and landowner who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1507-1508. His family's coat of arms featured three ravens, further cementing the connection between the name and the bird.
Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Reven (1560-1637), an English politician and lawyer who served as Attorney General for Ireland and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in England. He was knighted by King James I in 1616.
In the literary world, Richard Reven (1609-1692) was an English playwright and poet known for his works "The Ambitious Stepmother" and "The Tragedy of Lady Jane Grey." His contribution to Elizabethan and Jacobean theater has been widely acknowledged by scholars.
The name REVEN can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Ravensworth in County Durham and Ravenfield in Yorkshire, further highlighting its geographical roots and potential origins.
While the surname REVEN is not among the most common in modern times, its rich history and connection to English heritage make it a fascinating example of how surnames evolved from descriptive nicknames, occupations, and place names over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reven
Among Census respondents with the surname Reven, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Reven bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Reven surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reven
Reven appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-5 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,876 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-13 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,551 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 11,876 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 13,551 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Reven surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #132,206 | #145,757 | -10.2% |
| Count | 128 | 115 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reven bearers went from 128 to 115 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 13,551 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #145,757.
FAQ
Reven surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reven?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Reven. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Reven?
Reven ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Reven. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Reven.
Has Reven become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reven went from 128 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Reven?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reven, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Reven in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reven appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Hispanic (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Reven (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Reven mean?
A toponymic surname referring to someone from a place called Reven or Raven. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Reven (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Reven?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.