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

Reynolds, 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 Reynolds surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reynolds in America

Reynolds is the 121st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reynolds surname appeared 200,247 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 68 people would have the surname Reynolds.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reynolds 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 Reynolds

The surname Reynolds originates from England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a derivation of the Old English words "ren" meaning "stream" and "healh" meaning "nook" or "corner of land". The surname Reynolds would have initially referred to someone who lived near a stream or in a corner of land by a stream.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various early records and manuscripts such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 which listed a Reynold de Bernham in Norfolk. The Domesday Book of 1086 did not include the surname Reynolds, but it did feature the personal name Reynold which was likely the root from which the surname later emerged.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Reynolds is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a William Reynolds is listed. Another early instance is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1301, which mentions a John Reynold.

The surname Reynolds is also associated with several place names in England, such as Reynolds Cross in Somerset, Reynolds Wood in Shropshire, and Reynolds Park in Lancashire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself or referred to locations where individuals with the surname Reynolds once lived or owned land.

Notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Reynolds include:

1. Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), a renowned English portrait painter and one of the founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts.
2. Debbie Reynolds (1932-2016), an American actress, singer, and dancer best known for her roles in films like "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown".
3. Walter Reynolds (c. 1350-1327), an English priest who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1313 to 1327.
4. John Reynolds (1549-1607), an English Catholic martyr and Franciscan friar who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
5. Alastair Reynolds (born 1966), a British science fiction author known for works such as the Revelation Space series and the novel "House of Suns".

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reynolds

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

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

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

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