2000
#6,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,712
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.75
Rare Last name
Reza
A Persian surname derived from the Arabic word "riḍā," meaning "contentment, satisfaction, or approval."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,417 Americans carry the last name Reza. That puts it at #5,214 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reza surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Reza with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.4K
1 in 46,212
Census rank
#5,214
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,468 bearers of the surname Reza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5214th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.5%) and White (8.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reza
Among Census respondents with the surname Reza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.5%) and White (8.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Reza bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Reza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino74.9% · 4,845
- Asian and Pacific Islander14.5% · 940
- White8.5% · 547
- Two or more races1.3% · 81
- Black or African American0.5% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reza
Reza appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,349
+1,637 bearers (+34.7%)
Per 100,000 2.15
Rank movement Up 1,144 places
2020
#5,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,468
+119 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 2.16
Rank movement Up 265 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,623 | 4,712 | 1.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,479 | 6,349 | 2.15 | +1,637 bearers (+34.7%) | Up 1,144 places |
| 2020 | #5,214 | 6,468 | 2.16 | +119 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 265 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Reza surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,479 | #5,214 | 4.8% |
| Count | 6,349 | 6,468 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.15 | 2.16 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reza bearers went from 6,349 to 6,468 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 265 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,479 to #5,214.
FAQ
Reza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reza?
Name Census estimates that about 7,417 living Americans carry the surname Reza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,212 residents.
How common is Reza?
Reza ranks #5,214 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,468 people with the surname Reza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,417), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Reza.
Has Reza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reza went from 6,349 recorded bearers to 6,468. That is an increase of 119 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,479 to #5,214.
What does the Census say about the background of Reza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.5%) and White (8.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Reza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.9% (4,845 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (74.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (14.5%), White (8.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Reza (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Reza mean?
A Persian surname derived from the Arabic word "riḍā," meaning "contentment, satisfaction, or approval." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Reza (2.16 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Reza?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.