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 18306th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reyes surname appeared 1,515 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 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 Reyez originates from Spain and has its roots in the medieval era, specifically during the period of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula. It is derived from the Arabic word "riyad," which means "garden" or "meadow." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals who lived near or worked in gardens or cultivated lands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reyez can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a document dating back to the 13th century. This record was a registry of land distribution in Seville, Spain, following the Christian reconquest of the city from the Moors in 1248. It contains entries of individuals with variations of the name, such as Reyez and Reyiz.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical documents related to the Spanish colonization of the Americas. For instance, Juan de Reyez was a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s. Another notable figure was Pedro de Reyez, a Catholic priest who served as a missionary in New Spain (present-day Mexico) during the late 16th century.

The surname Reyez has also been linked to several place names in Spain, such as Reyes, a town in the province of Seville, and Reyesa, a municipality in the province of Cáceres. These place names likely derived from the same Arabic root as the surname, reflecting the historical influence of Muslim culture in the region.

Throughout history, several prominent individuals have borne the surname Reyez. One example is Alonso de Reyez (1524-1591), a Spanish poet and playwright who was highly regarded during the Spanish Golden Age. Another notable figure was Bartolomé de Reyez (1576-1650), a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits.

In the 19th century, José María Reyez (1823-1875) was a Mexican politician and military leader who served as the 28th President of Mexico from 1867 to 1872. Additionally, Rodolfo Reyez (1885-1957) was a Colombian writer and philosopher who is considered one of the most influential figures in Latin American literature and thought.

While the surname Reyez has its roots in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration. Despite its geographic dispersion, the name retains its connection to its Arabic origins and the rich cultural heritage of the region.

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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