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

Rheams, 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 Rheams surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rheams in America

Rheams is the 49723rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rheams surname appeared 422 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rheams.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rheams 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 Rheams

The surname RHEAMS originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "hream," meaning "raven" or "crow." This suggests that the name was initially a nickname given to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion, resembling the color of those birds.

RHEAMS is an anglicized version of the Old French surname "Remes," which itself is a derivative of the Latin word "Ramus," meaning "branch." It is possible that some early bearers of the name were associated with forestry or lived near a prominent tree or wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RHEAMS surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1170, where a certain William Remes is mentioned. In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a Robert Remes is listed as residing in Oxfordshire.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Remes, Remys, and Reymes, in various English counties, including Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Leicestershire. This indicates that the name was well-established across different regions of the country.

One notable bearer of the RHEAMS surname was Sir Thomas Remes (c. 1438-1504), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1500. He played a significant role in the reconstruction of the famous London Bridge after its partial destruction by fire.

Another prominent individual with this surname was John Rheams (1577-1644), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, from 1615 until his death. He was known for his scholarly work on biblical exegesis and his contributions to the religious debates of his time.

In the 17th century, the RHEAMS surname was found in various records relating to the English Civil War. For instance, Captain Nicholas Rheams (c. 1620-1688) was a Royalist officer who fought for King Charles I and later became a prominent landowner in Gloucestershire.

During the 18th century, the name appeared in parish records across England, particularly in counties like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire, where families bearing the RHEAMS surname had established roots.

One notable figure from this period was William Rheams (1731-1803), a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Hackney Church and the Royal Naval College in Greenwich.

As the RHEAMS surname spread across England over the centuries, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and, later, to the American colonies through immigration. However, the earliest recorded instances and the origins of the name can be traced back to its English roots in the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rheams

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

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

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

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