Reich surname: meaning, census count and records | FamilyCrests

The Reich surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,891 people carried this name — #2,796 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 22,900 people counted. That is up 5% from 12,283 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Reich surname

Borrowed from German Reich (“empire, realm”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Reich» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

1,078 people named Reich live in Switzerland.

They live in 23 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Zurich 264
St. Gallen 217
Graubünden 109
Bern 96
Aargau 78
Thurgau 57
Lucerne 55
Basel-Landschaft 33

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

924 people named Reich have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 1,146 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 15 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Kuyavian-Pomeranian.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Kuyavian-Pomeranian 197
Pomeranian 194
Greater Poland 138
Silesian 110
Warmian-Masurian 73
Lower Silesian 66
West Pomeranian 44
Lubusz 31

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 384 people named Reich.

80 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 37 départements, most often Moselle.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born

Born outside France 80
Moselle 67
Paris 52
Haut-Rhin 38
Ariège 26
Bas-Rhin 22
Meurthe-et-Moselle 17
Var 8
Gironde 6

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 321 people named Reich live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 83
City of Buenos Aires 80
Misiones 57
San Luis 51
Córdoba 50

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 47 people named Reich live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Antwerp 40
Brussels-Capital 7

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In the Nordic population registers

76 people named Reich is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 76

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Reich in American newspapers,
1898–1915.

Newspaper page from Foster's Daily Democrat carrying the name Reich
Foster's Daily Democrat 1898-01-03
Newspaper page from Fergus County Democrat carrying the name Reich
Fergus County Democrat 1915-05-06
Newspaper page from The Hattiesburg News carrying the name Reich
The Hattiesburg News 1914-07-17

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 341,594 pages in all carry the name.

Who carried it

People named Reich,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Heinrich Leopold Reich
    Heinrich Leopold Reich d. 1923 · rabbi
  • Gottfried Reich d. 1357 · merchant
  • Matthäus Reich d. 1367 · merchant
  • Thomas Reich d. 1536 · council member
  • Leon Reich d. 1914 · lord of the manor
  • Karl Reich d. 1944 · dancer

Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Reich.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Reich is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See what a volume holds
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