How common is the surname Reese?

73,919 people in the United States had the surname Reese in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 4,177 Americans. It ranked 445th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Reese?

Brittney Reese, American female Olympic athlete, followed by Della Reese.

Where is the surname Reese most common?

Wikidata records people named Reese in the United States and Australia.

Is the surname Reese getting more or less common?

More common. 71,754 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 73,919 in 2010, up 3.0%.

Is Reese also a first name?

Yes. Reese is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Reese

A Welsh surname, carried by 73,919 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ɹis/ 1 syllable Soundex R200 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Reese is more common than 99.7% of them.

Origin

Welsh origin

* As a given name and British surname generally from Welsh Rhys (literally “ardor”). * Chiefly in North America, the surname may also be from unrelated German Reese (literally “giant”).

One of 60 Welsh surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 73,919 people named Reese in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 4,177 Americans. That is up 3.0% since 2000, when the Census counted 71,754.

#445

rank among US surnames

73,919

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+3%

change since 2000 (was #405)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#436	Curry	74,919	4,121
#437	McLaughlin	74,816	4,127
#438	Harmon	74,737	4,131
#439	McGee	74,542	4,142
#440	Gross	74,503	4,144
#441	Doyle	74,458	4,147
#442	Garner	74,324	4,154

Who is named Reese

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

66% of people named Reese identified as white (not Hispanic), 28% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.6% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 66%
Black (not Hispanic) 28%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.6%
Two or more races 2.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.4%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Reeses

14 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Brittney Reese
American female Olympic athlete, born 1986
Della Reese
American actress and singer (1931-2017)
Angel Reese
American basketball player (born 2002)
Chip Reese
American poker player (1951–2007)
Shayne Reese
Australian swimmer, Olympic gold medallist, world champion, former world record-holder, born 1982
Melissa Reese
American musician, born 1985
Pee Wee Reese
American baseball player and coach, 1918–1999
Gustave Reese
American musicologist (1899–1977)
Rhett Reese
American screenwriter, born 1975
Lil Reese
American rapper (born 1993)
Mike Reese
American politician, 1978–2021
Alex Reese
American basketball player (born 1999)

Notable Reeses come mostly from the United States (13) and Australia (1).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Reese

Reese has the Soundex code R200, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code R200.

Other Welsh surnames

All 60 Welsh surnames

Questions

Where does the surname Reese come from?: * As a given name and British surname generally from Welsh Rhys (literally “ardor”). * Chiefly in North America, the surname may also be from unrelated German Reese (literally “giant”).
How common is the surname Reese?: 73,919 people in the United States had the surname Reese in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 4,177 Americans. It ranked 445th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Reese?: In the 2010 Census, 66% of people named Reese identified as white (not Hispanic), and 28% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Reese?: Brittney Reese, American female Olympic athlete, followed by Della Reese.
Where is the surname Reese most common?: Wikidata records people named Reese in the United States and Australia.
How do you pronounce Reese?: Reese is /ɹis/, one syllable.
Is the surname Reese getting more or less common?: More common. 71,754 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 73,919 in 2010, up 3.0%.
Is Reese also a first name?: Yes. Reese is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.