2000
#4,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,348
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.72
Rare Last name
Rey
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "rex," meaning "king," likely referring to a person's regal bearing or authority.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,342 Americans carry the last name Rey. That puts it at #4,216 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,690 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rey 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 Rey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.3K
1 in 36,690
Census rank
#4,216
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,147 bearers of the surname Rey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4216th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rey, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 62.4%. The next largest groups are White (26.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rey
The surname Rey originates from Spain and is derived from the Spanish word "rey," which means "king." It is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages when it was common for surnames to be derived from occupations or descriptive terms.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Rey can be found in the 12th century Cartulario de San Cugat del Vallés, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of Sant Cugat in Catalonia, Spain. The name appears in several entries, suggesting that it was already in use during that time period.
In the 13th century, the surname Rey is found in the Libro de la Montería, a medieval hunting treatise commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. The book mentions several individuals with the surname, including Juan Rey, who was a huntsman in the service of the king.
During the 14th century, the surname Rey gained prominence in various parts of Spain. One notable individual was Pero Rey, a Galician nobleman who served as a courtier to King Pedro I of Castile in the mid-1300s.
In the 15th century, the surname Rey is recorded in the Archivo General de Indias, a collection of documents related to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One such entry mentions a certain Juan Rey, who was among the early settlers in Puerto Rico in the late 1400s.
Moving into the 16th century, the surname Rey is associated with several notable figures, including Pedro Rey, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the 1520s.
Another notable individual with the surname Rey was Alonso Rey, a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is best known for his religious works, which can be found in various churches and monasteries throughout Spain.
In the 18th century, the surname Rey was also present in the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One example is José Antonio Rey, a Venezuelan military leader who played a significant role in the Venezuelan War of Independence in the early 1800s.
Overall, the surname Rey has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in the Spanish culture and language. Its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and it has been associated with various notable individuals throughout history, from noblemen and courtiers to artists and military leaders.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rey
Among Census respondents with the surname Rey, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 62.4%. The next largest groups are White (26.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rey 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 Rey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino62.4% · 5,086
- White26.3% · 2,143
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 383
- Black or African American4.0% · 329
- Two or more races1.7% · 141
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rey
Rey 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
#4,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,074
+726 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 2.74
Rank movement Up 47 places
2020
#4,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,147
+73 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 2.73
Rank movement Up 187 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,450 | 7,348 | 2.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,403 | 8,074 | 2.74 | +726 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 47 places |
| 2020 | #4,216 | 8,147 | 2.73 | +73 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 187 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 Rey 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 | #4,403 | #4,216 | 4.2% |
| Count | 8,074 | 8,147 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.74 | 2.73 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rey bearers went from 8,074 to 8,147 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 187 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,403 to #4,216.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rey
FAQ
Rey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rey?
Name Census estimates that about 9,342 living Americans carry the surname Rey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,690 residents.
How common is Rey?
Rey ranks #4,216 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,147 people with the surname Rey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,342), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Rey.
Has Rey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rey went from 8,074 recorded bearers to 8,147. That is an increase of 73 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,403 to #4,216.
What does the Census say about the background of Rey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rey, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 62.4%. The next largest groups are White (26.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.4% (5,086 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (62.4%), White (26.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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 Rey (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 Rey mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "rex," meaning "king," likely referring to a person's regal bearing or authority. 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 Rey (2.73 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 share the surname Rey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.