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

Reyes, 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 Reyes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reyes in America

Reyes is the 60th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reyes surname appeared 327,904 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 111 people would have the surname Reyes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reyes 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 Reyes

The surname Reyes originated from the Spanish language and has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in Spain and Portugal. It traces its origins back to the medieval era, around the 8th to 15th centuries.

The name Reyes is derived from the Spanish word "rey," which means "king." This suggests that the surname may have been associated with individuals who had some connection to royalty or the royal court during those times. It could have been given to those who served the king directly or were bestowed titles or lands by the monarchy.

Historically, the name Reyes has been documented in various records and manuscripts from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Libro de las Behetrías, a 14th-century Castilian manuscript that recorded the rights and privileges of certain towns and villages in the Kingdom of Castile.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Reyes dates back to the 13th century, with a nobleman named Rodrigo Reyes, who served as a knight under King Alfonso X of Castile (1221-1284). Another early record is that of Juan Reyes, a prominent explorer and navigator from Seville, who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.

Throughout history, the Reyes surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, the town of Reyes in the province of Seville, Spain, likely derived its name from individuals bearing the Reyes surname who settled there or held lands in the area.

Famous individuals with the surname Reyes include:

1. Antonio de Reyes (1663-1738), a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits.
2. Rafael Reyes (1849-1923), a Colombian politician and military officer who served as the 16th President of Colombia from 1904 to 1909.
3. Alonso de Reyes (fl. 1585-1617), a Spanish composer and music theorist during the Renaissance period.
4. Bernardo de los Reyes (1530-1612), a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary who helped establish the first Catholic mission in Japan.
5. Alfonso Reyes (1889-1959), a Mexican writer, philosopher, and diplomat who served as the Mexican ambassador to various countries.

While the surname Reyes has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to Latin American countries, due to Spanish colonization and migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reyes

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

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

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

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