2000
#1,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,216
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.61
Uncommon Last name
Reece
An anglicized Welsh surname derived from Rhys, meaning "ardor, enthusiasm" or referring to someone who lived near rushes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 27,331 Americans carry the last name Reece. That puts it at #1,457 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,541 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reece 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 Reece with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
27K
1 in 12,541
Census rank
#1,457
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
24K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 23,834 bearers of the surname Reece in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1457th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reece, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reece
The surname Reece originates from Wales, deriving from the Welsh personal name Rhys, which is thought to be a cognate of the Old English name Rees or Res. The name Rhys itself is believed to have originated from the Welsh word "ardderchog," meaning "illustrious" or "noble."
Historically, the name Reece has been recorded in various forms, including Rees, Ryce, Rhyce, Ryece, and Reyce. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Res" and "Resse."
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Rhys ap Gruffydd, also known as The Lord Rhys, who was a powerful Welsh prince and ruler of the Kingdom of Deheubarth from 1155 to 1197. Another prominent individual was Sir Rhys ap Thomas (c. 1449–1525), a Welsh soldier and landholder who played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses and later became a close ally of King Henry VII.
The name Reece has also been associated with various place names throughout Wales, such as Reece's Valley in Glamorgan and Reece's Cottage in Monmouthshire. In some cases, the name may have derived from these place names rather than directly from the personal name Rhys.
Other notable individuals with the surname Reece include:
1. John Reece (1510–1584), a Welsh scholar and translator who produced the first printed book in the Welsh language.
2. Robert Reece (1838–1891), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 40th Governor of Texas from 1887 to 1891.
3. Ambrose Reece (1887–1972), a Welsh rugby union player who represented Wales in the early 20th century.
4. Martha Reece (1899–1989), an American actress who appeared in various films and television shows during the 1930s and 1940s.
5. Lizette Woodworth Reece (1856–1935), an American poet and author known for her works celebrating the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay region.
While the surname Reece has its roots in Wales, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Welsh migration and settlement. The name continues to hold historical significance and is deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of Wales.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reece
Among Census respondents with the surname Reece, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Reece 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 Reece surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.0% · 18,109
- Black or African American14.4% · 3,440
- Two or more races4.8% · 1,135
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 795
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 226
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 129
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reece
Reece 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
#1,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,145
+929 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 8.19
Rank movement Down 79 places
2020
#1,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,834
-311 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 7.97
Rank movement Up 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,400 | 23,216 | 8.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,479 | 24,145 | 8.19 | +929 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 79 places |
| 2020 | #1,457 | 23,834 | 7.97 | -311 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 22 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 Reece 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 | #1,479 | #1,457 | 1.5% |
| Count | 24,145 | 23,834 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 8.19 | 7.97 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reece bearers went from 24,145 to 23,834 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,479 to #1,457.
FAQ
Reece surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reece?
Name Census estimates that about 27,331 living Americans carry the surname Reece. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,541 residents.
How common is Reece?
Reece ranks #1,457 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 23,834 people with the surname Reece. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (27,331), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Reece.
Has Reece become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reece went from 24,145 recorded bearers to 23,834. That is a decrease of 311 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,479 to #1,457.
What does the Census say about the background of Reece?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reece, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Reece in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.0% (18,109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reece appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.0%), Black (14.4%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Reece (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 Reece mean?
An anglicized Welsh surname derived from Rhys, meaning "ardor, enthusiasm" or referring to someone who lived near rushes. 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 Reece (7.97 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 Reece?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.