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Rea Family History

Rea Name Meaning

English: from a misdivision of the Middle English phrase atter ye ‘at the island’ (Old English ēg īeg). The surname may be topographic for someone who lived on an island or patch of firm ground surrounded by marsh or habitational from a place so named such as Rye (Sussex) The Rye in High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire) Rye Hill in Epping Upland (Essex) Rye Mill in Feering (Essex) and Rye House in Stanstead Abbots (Hertfordshire). Alternatively the name may also arise from a misdivision of the Middle English phrase atter eye ‘at the river’ (Old English ēa) and may also be topographic for someone who lived near a river or stream or habitational from a place so named such as Rea in Hempsted (Gloucestershire) Ray Lodge in Lingfield (Surrey) and Rye Farm in Cranleigh (Surrey). Due to the similarity of Middle English forms it is now impossible to distinguish between the two explanations. See also Nye . English: post-medieval form of Wray . English: variant of Ray . Scottish: shortened and altered form of McRae . Irish: from Riabhach described as an adjectival surname (meaning ‘gray’ or ‘brindled’) that replaced a hereditary one.7: Italian: from the male personal name Rea a short form of Andrea . Compare Reo Italian: from the feminine form of the nickname Reo

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


Similar surnames: Reap, Crea, Dea, Rey, Ree, Reay, Rex, Kea, Lea, Drea

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Where is the Rea family from?

You can see how Rea families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rea family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rea families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 184 Rea families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Rea's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rea families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rea surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Rea ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Rea. 47% of Rea men worked as a Farmer and 31% of Rea women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rea were Druggist and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Rea | 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
    47%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Druggist
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Clerk
    31%
  • Stenographer
    24%
  • Nurse
    16%
  • Housekeeper
    16%
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What Rea family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 108,000 census records available for the last name Rea. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rea census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rea

Passenger Lists

There are 17,000 immigration records available for the last name Rea. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 44,000 military records available for the last name Rea. For the veterans among your Rea ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Rea lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Rea life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Rea in 1940 was 78, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rea

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