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

Reza, 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 Reza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Reza in America

Reza is the 5479th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Reza surname appeared 6,349 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Reza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Reza 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 Reza

The surname REZA has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East region, specifically in present-day Iran (formerly known as Persia). The name likely emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 7th century AD.

REZA is derived from the Arabic word "Rida," which means "satisfaction" or "contentment." It is closely associated with the eighth Imam of Shia Islam, Ali al-Rida, who lived in the 8th century and was renowned for his wisdom and piety.

Historical records indicate that the name REZA first appeared in various Persian manuscripts and chronicles dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Some of the earliest known individuals with this surname include Abul Reza al-Ghazali (1058–1111), a renowned Persian scholar and philosopher, and Ibn Reza al-Tabrizi (1144–1208), a renowned Persian physician and philosopher.

During the medieval period, the name REZA was particularly prevalent in the regions of present-day Iran, Iraq, and parts of Central Asia, where Persian culture and Islamic influence were strong. It was often associated with individuals of scholarly or religious backgrounds.

One notable historical figure with the surname REZA was Mirza Reza Kermani (1859–1896), a prominent Iranian philosopher and writer who played a significant role in the intellectual and literary movements of his time. Another was Reza Khan (1878–1944), an Iranian military officer who later became the Shah of Iran and founded the Pahlavi dynasty.

The name REZA also has some association with place names in the region. For example, Reza'iyeh is a town in northern Iran, and Mashhad-e Reza is a city in northeastern Iran named after the eighth Imam, Ali al-Rida.

Other notable individuals with the surname REZA include Reza Abbasi (1565–1635), a renowned Persian calligrapher and painter during the Safavid dynasty; Reza Baraheni (born 1935), an Iranian poet, novelist, and human rights activist; and Reza Aslan (born 1972), an Iranian-American author, religious scholar, and commentator.

While the surname REZA has its roots in the Arabic and Persian cultures, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange, albeit retaining its strong association with the Middle East region and Islamic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Reza

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

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

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

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