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

Reye, 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 Reye surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reye in America

Reye is the 108734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reye surname appeared 163 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 Reye.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reye 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 Reye

The surname REYE has its origins in the Low Countries, specifically in the Flemish region spanning present-day Belgium and the Netherlands. It emerged in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old Dutch word "rey" or "reye," which referred to a row or line, potentially alluding to a person's residence along a specific street or row of houses.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the REYE surname can be traced back to the city of Brugge (Bruges) in the County of Flanders. In a municipal record from the year 1459, a certain Willem Reye is mentioned as a resident of the city. This document provides valuable evidence of the name's existence and usage during that time period.

The REYE name has also been found in various historical records throughout the Low Countries. For example, in the parish registers of the city of Antwerp, several individuals with the surname REYE are listed, including Joannes Reye, born in 1587, and Petrus Reye, who lived in the late 16th century.

As the Dutch and Flemish people migrated and settled in other regions, the REYE surname spread across Europe and beyond. One notable individual bearing this name was Theodoor Reye (1589-1637), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. Another prominent figure was Cornelis Reye (1615-1670), a Dutch navigator and explorer who played a significant role in the early exploration of Australia and the Pacific region.

In the 18th century, the REYE surname made its way to the British Isles, as evidenced by the birth of William Reye in London in 1728. Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Reye, Reije, and Rey.

Among other notable individuals with the REYE surname are Johann Jakob Reye (1766-1853), a German mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the field of geometry, and Émile Reye (1870-1939), a French industrialist and pioneer in the automotive industry who co-founded the Compagnie des Cycles Peugeot.

While the REYE surname may not be among the most common today, its rich history and origins in the Low Countries serve as a testament to the cultural diversity and migration patterns that have shaped many surnames over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reye

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

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

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

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