Explore the Family Name Reaves
The meaning of Reaves
English: variant of Reeves.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Reaves in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Reaves has seen a slight decrease in rank from the year 2000 to 2010, slipping from 2,299th place to 2,344th. However, the count of individuals bearing this surname increased by approximately 7.5 percent during the same period, rising from 14,465 to 15,550. This change resulted in a minor drop in the proportion per 100k people, moving from 5.36 to 5.27.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,299 | #2,344 | -1.96% |
| Count | 14,465 | 15,550 | 7.5% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.36 | 5.27 | -1.68% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Reaves
Regarding the ethnicity associated with the surname Reaves, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest percentage increase was among those identifying as Hispanic, which nearly doubled from 1.15 percent to 2.17 percent. The proportion of individuals identifying as two or more races also increased significantly by 38.15 percent. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black saw a modest increase of 3.11 percent. Conversely, the proportion of individuals identifying as White decreased by 5 percent, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native fell slightly by 5.71 percent. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a small increase of 17.86 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 58.22% | 55.31% | -5% |
| Black | 38.28% | 39.47% | 3.11% |
| Two or More Races | 1.73% | 2.39% | 38.15% |
| Hispanic | 1.15% | 2.17% | 88.7% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.28% | 0.33% | 17.86% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.33% | -5.71% |
Reaves 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 Reaves is British & Irish, which comprises 58.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.8%) and Nigerian (5.9%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Spanish & Portuguese, Angolan & Congolese, Scandinavian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.4% |
| French & German | 16.8% |
| Nigerian | 5.9% |
| Other | 19.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Reaves
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 Reaves have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 83.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 82.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
What Reaves 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 Reaves is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-V13 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ferry, Huffman, Meister, Fry, Reeves, Hager, Kiefer, Sargent, Rudolph, Beyer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Reaves surname are: H1, T2b, H. 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 Reaves 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.
"Reaves" Surname 48.4%
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.
"Reaves" Surname 17.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Reaves" Surname 23.2%
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.
"Reaves" Surname 20.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Reaves?
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 Reaves are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition