How Many People Are Named Reese?
An estimated 59,798 people in the United States have the first name Reese. It is used for both genders, with 69.3% female. The average bearer is 16 years old, and Reese peaked in popularity in 2007 with 2,950 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Reese as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Reese paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Reese has undergone a significant gender shift. Originally given predominantly to boys, it is now more commonly a girls' name.
- Reese is a modern name. With an average bearer age of just 16, it has gained most of its popularity in recent years.
Estimated Living Americans
59,798
About 1 in 5,732 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Female
69.3% confidence
Average Age
16
years old
Peak Year
2007
2,950 births
Total Registered
62,268
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Reese
Reese is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (30.7%) and females (69.3%). Out of 62,268 total births registered, 19,129 were male and 43,139 were female.
Reese as a male name
Ranked #620 in 2024
455 male births in 2024
Peak: 2003 (709 births)
Reese as a female name
Ranked #190 in 2024
1,589 female births in 2024
Peak: 2012 (2,459 births)
Reese in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 48,829 people with the first name Reese, which placed it at #919 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Reese was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 48,829 people with this name in that snapshot, 30.5% were male and 69.5% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 69.3% of the time.
Census Count
48,829
people with this name
Census Rank
#919
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
16.17
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Reese was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (83.65%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (5.59%) and Two or More Races (5.18%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Reese in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Reese.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 83.65% | 40,845 |
| Hispanic | 5.59% | 2,728 |
| Two or More Races | 5.18% | 2,528 |
| Black | 3.50% | 1,708 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.45% | 707 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.64% | 311 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Reese: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Reese span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 24,290 babies were registered. While Reese is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Reese by Decade
How has Reese tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Reese by State
Birth registrations for Reese span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, California, Ohio. The lowest are in Alaska, Wyoming, District of Columbia. On average, about 1,111 Reeses were registered per state.
Reese + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Reese as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Reese
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
Reese: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reese?
We estimate approximately 59,798 people named Reese are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 5,732 Americans share this first name.
Is Reese a common name?
Reese is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 99.2% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 62,268 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Reese most popular?
Reese reached peak popularity in 2007, when 2,950 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Reese is approximately 16 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Reese in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 48,829 people with the first name Reese. That placed it at #919 in the published Census first-name tables, or 16.17 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Reese was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Reese?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Reese was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 30.5% male and 69.5% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Reese?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Reese was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (83.65%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (5.59%) and Two or More Races (5.18%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Reese a female name?
Reese is predominantly female. 69.3% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Reese have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Reese peaked in 2007, and the average living bearer is about 16 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Reese Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Reese Smith, Reese Johnson, Reese Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination