Explore the Family Name Reams
The meaning of Reams
1. Americanized form of German Riehm. 2. English (Lincolnshire): of Norman origin, a habitational name from Rames in Seine-Maritime (France). This surname is rare in Britain. Compare Rheams.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Reams in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Reams has seen a mild decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Reams was ranked as the 6384th most popular surname, while it slipped to the 6618th position by 2010. This represents a decline of approximately 3.67%. However, the actual count of individuals with the surname increased from 4910 to 5118, a rise of 4.24%. The proportion of individuals named Reams per 100,000 dwindled slightly from 1.82 to 1.74, marking a 4.4% decrease.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,384 | #6,618 | -3.67% |
| Count | 4,910 | 5,118 | 4.24% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.82 | 1.74 | -4.4% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Reams
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Reams has also shown some changes over this decade, according to the same Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest increase was seen among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, jumping from 0.26% to 1.00%, which is an impressive 284.62% growth. The number of individuals identifying as two or more races also rose by 37.10%. Meanwhile, there were slight decreases in the percentage of individuals identifying as White and Black by 2.74% and 3.42% respectively. There was a notable increase in the Hispanic representation from 1.47% to 2.87%, a change of 95.24%. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw a modest increase of 23.64%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.16% | 79.91% | -2.74% |
| Black | 14.32% | 13.83% | -3.42% |
| Hispanic | 1.47% | 2.87% | 95.24% |
| Two or More Races | 1.24% | 1.7% | 37.1% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.26% | 1% | 284.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.55% | 0.68% | 23.64% |
Reams ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Reams is British & Irish, which comprises 53.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.2%) and Scandinavian (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, Indigenous American, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.0% |
| French & German | 25.2% |
| Scandinavian | 3.9% |
| Other | 17.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Reams
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Reams have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
What Reams haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Reams is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S1688 and E-M180, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Culver, Rosser, Elam, Fennell, Maxwell, Justice, Whitney, Peyton, Hornsby, Beaumont.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Reams surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Reams have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Reams" Surname 22.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Reams" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Reams" Surname 27.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Reams" Surname 14.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Reams?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Reams are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition