2000
#68,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 266
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Reem
A surname derived from the Arabic word meaning 'antelope'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 327 Americans carry the last name Reem. That puts it at #73,330 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,048,178 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Reem 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.
Bearers in the US
327
1 in 1,048,178
Census rank
#73,330
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
285
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 285 bearers of the surname Reem in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73330th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Reem, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Reem
The surname REEM has its origins traced back to the Middle East, particularly in regions now known as Iran and Iraq. It is believed to have derived from an old Persian word meaning "spear" or "lance." This connection suggests that the name may have been initially associated with warriors or soldiers who wielded these weapons.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname REEM can be found in ancient Persian manuscripts dating back to the 7th century AD. These texts mention individuals bearing this name who were part of the military or held positions of authority during the Sassanid Empire.
As the Islamic conquest of Persia took place in the 7th century, the name REEM likely spread to other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Records from the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled from the 8th to the 13th century, show instances of the surname appearing in regions such as modern-day Syria and Egypt.
During the Crusades, which spanned from the 11th to the 13th century, some Europeans may have adopted or adapted the name REEM after encountering individuals with this surname in the Middle East. This could explain the presence of the name in certain European regions, although its prevalence remained relatively low.
One notable historical figure with the surname REEM was Al-Reem ibn Abi Al-Qasim, a renowned Arab mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 10th century AD. His contributions to the fields of algebra and trigonometry were significant during the Islamic Golden Age.
Another individual of note was Reem Al-Khattab, a Syrian poet and scholar who lived in the 12th century AD. Her works, which focused on love and spirituality, were widely celebrated and influenced subsequent generations of Arabic literature.
In the 15th century, there are records of a family with the surname REEM residing in the city of Granada, which was then under the rule of the Nasrid dynasty in Al-Andalus (modern-day Spain). This family was involved in agricultural trade and is believed to have migrated from North Africa.
During the 16th century, a notable figure named Reem Al-Nahdi, a scholar and historian from Yemen, authored several books on the history and culture of the Arabian Peninsula. His works provided valuable insights into the region's past.
In the 19th century, a French explorer named Reem Dumont is believed to have traveled extensively in the Middle East and North Africa, documenting his observations and experiences in various publications. His writings shed light on the customs and traditions of the regions he visited.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Reem
Among Census respondents with the surname Reem, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Reem 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 Reem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 248
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 11
- Black or African American3.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 4
- Two or more races0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Reem
Reem 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
#78,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 244
-22 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 9,343 places
2020
#73,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 285
+41 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 4,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #68,973 | 266 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,316 | 244 | 0.08 | -22 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 9,343 places |
| 2020 | #73,330 | 285 | 0.10 | +41 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 4,986 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 Reem 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 | #78,316 | #73,330 | 6.4% |
| Count | 244 | 285 | 16.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.10 | 19.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Reem bearers went from 244 to 285 (+16.8% change). The surname moved up 4,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,316 to #73,330.
FAQ
Reem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Reem?
Name Census estimates that about 327 living Americans carry the surname Reem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,048,178 residents.
How common is Reem?
Reem ranks #73,330 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 285 people with the surname Reem. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (327), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Reem.
Has Reem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Reem went from 244 recorded bearers to 285. That is an increase of 41 (+16.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #78,316 to #73,330.
What does the Census say about the background of Reem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Reem, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%) and Black (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Reem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (248 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Reem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.9%), Black (3.5%). 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 Reem (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 Reem mean?
A surname derived from the Arabic word meaning 'antelope'. 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 Reem (0.10 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 common is the surname Reem?
Find out how many people are called Reem on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.