Explore the Family Name Reich
The meaning of Reich
1. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for a wealthy or powerful man, from Middle High German rīch ‘of noble descent, powerful, rich’, German reich ‘rich’. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine), Poland, Hungary, Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Croatia (see also 4 below). 2. German: from a short form of a personal name containing the Old High German element rīhhi ‘power, might’. 3. Scottish: when not of German origin (see above), perhaps a variant of Riach. 4. Germanized form of Slovenian and Croatian Rajh: nickname of German origin (see 1 above). Some characteristic forenames: German Hans, Kurt, Erwin, Gerhard, Alois, Otto, Volker, Erna, Udo, Wolfgang, Dieter, Egon.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Reich in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Reich has experienced some fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the Reich surname held the rank of 2696 and by 2010, it had slipped slightly to a rank of 2796, reflecting a change of -3.71%. Despite this slight drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Reich surname increased by 4.95%, from 12,283 in 2000 to 12,891 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a minor decrease from 4.55 to 4.37, marking a -3.96% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,696 | #2,796 | -3.71% |
| Count | 12,283 | 12,891 | 4.95% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.55 | 4.37 | -3.96% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Reich
Turning to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the Reich surname over the same time period. The percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased from 95.79% in 2000 to 93.85% in 2010, while those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase from 1.51% to 2.72%. The Asian/Pacific Islander community experienced a 39.47% growth, moving from 0.38% to 0.53%. Those identifying as Two or more races also saw an uptick from 1.18% to 1.44%. Individuals identifying as Black experienced a slight decrease from 0.56% to 0.50%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw an increase from 0.58% to 0.96%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.79% | 93.85% | -2.03% |
| Hispanic | 1.51% | 2.72% | 80.13% |
| Two or More Races | 1.18% | 1.44% | 22.03% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.58% | 0.96% | 65.52% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.53% | 39.47% |
| Black | 0.56% | 0.5% | -10.71% |
Reich 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 Reich is French & German, which comprises 29.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (28.0%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (20.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 29.0% |
| British & Irish | 28.0% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 20.6% |
| Other | 22.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Reich
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 Reich have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 59.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 59.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 59.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 59.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 58.80% |
What Reich 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 Reich is R-L260, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L260 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include G-Z30771 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Frank, Michaels, Klein, Berger, Kramer, Weiss, Marks, Schultz, Schmidt, Schwartz.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Reich surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Reich 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.
"Reich" Surname 33.6%
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.
"Reich" Surname 27.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Reich" Surname 22.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Reich" Surname 41.3%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Reich?
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 Reich are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition