2000
#5,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,437
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.02
Rare Last name
Rex
A Latin surname meaning "king," often bestowed as a nickname for someone who conducted himself in a regal manner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,344 Americans carry the last name Rex. That puts it at #5,990 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rex 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rex with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.3K
1 in 54,028
Census rank
#5,990
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,532 bearers of the surname Rex in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5990th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rex, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rex
The surname Rex originates from the Latin word 'rex', meaning 'king'. It is thought to have first emerged as a surname in England during the Middle Ages, likely as a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who exhibited regal or kingly qualities.
Rex is an ancient surname with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a historical record of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. References to individuals with the surname Rex appear in various medieval records and manuscripts from this time period.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Rex surname was William Rex, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. William Rex was granted lands in Oxfordshire for his service to the king.
The Rex surname also has ties to place names, particularly in Suffolk and Essex, where it is believed to have originated from locations like Rexham (now Rectory Farm) and Rexborough (now Roxborough). These place names likely derived from the Old English words 'recc' or 'rex', meaning 'ruler' or 'king'.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Rex surname. One such figure was Sir William Rex (1445-1508), a prominent English courtier and landowner during the reign of Henry VII. Another was Sir John Rex (1508-1594), a Member of Parliament during the Tudor period.
Other notable individuals with the Rex surname include:
1. Walter Rex (1280-1361), an English landowner and knight who served under Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.
2. Thomas Rex (1555-1638), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Norwich.
3. Robert Rex (1670-1742), a Scottish mathematician and inventor who devised an early form of the barometer.
4. Ebenezer Rex (1820-1892), an American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
5. Florence Rex (1889-1971), an American actress and dancer known for her work in vaudeville and Broadway productions.
The Rex surname has a rich history rooted in the Latin word for 'king', and its bearers have made significant contributions across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rex
Among Census respondents with the surname Rex, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Rex 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 Rex surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 4,860
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 202
- Black or African American3.5% · 193
- Two or more races3.1% · 169
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rex
Rex 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
#5,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,758
+321 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.95
Rank movement Down 151 places
2020
#5,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,532
-226 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,824 | 5,437 | 2.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,975 | 5,758 | 1.95 | +321 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 151 places |
| 2020 | #5,990 | 5,532 | 1.85 | -226 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 15 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 Rex 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 | #5,975 | #5,990 | -0.3% |
| Count | 5,758 | 5,532 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.95 | 1.85 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rex bearers went from 5,758 to 5,532 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,975 to #5,990.
FAQ
Rex surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rex?
Name Census estimates that about 6,344 living Americans carry the surname Rex. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,028 residents.
How common is Rex?
Rex ranks #5,990 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,532 people with the surname Rex. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,344), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Rex.
Has Rex become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rex went from 5,758 recorded bearers to 5,532. That is a decrease of 226 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,975 to #5,990.
What does the Census say about the background of Rex?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rex, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Black (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 Rex in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (4,860 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rex appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Hispanic (3.7%), Black (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 Rex (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 Rex mean?
A Latin surname meaning "king," often bestowed as a nickname for someone who conducted himself in a regal manner. 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 Rex (1.85 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 last name Rex?
Want to know how many people have the last name Rex? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.