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Reel Family History

Reel Name Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Raghaill ‘descendant of Raghall’ a short form of the personal name Raghailleach; see Riley and compare Riel . Americanized form of German Riehl . Flemish: from a short form of the ancient Germanic personal name Radilo itself a short form of a compound name formed with rād ‘counsel advice’ as the first element for example Radolf (see Ralph ).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Reek, Reil, Redel, Reeb, Regel, Reep, Peel, Rees, Gehl, Reul

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Reel family from?

You can see how Reel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Reel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Reel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 36 Reel families living in Ontario. This was about 62% of all the recorded Reel's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Reel families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Reel surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Reel ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Reel. 72% of Reel men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Reel | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    72%
  • Farm Laborer
    29%
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What Reel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Reel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Reel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Reel

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Reel. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Reel immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Reel. For the veterans among your Reel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Reel military records

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What is the average Reel lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Reel life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Reel in 1945 was 31, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Reel

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