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Reed Family History

Reed Name Meaning

English and Scottish: nickname from Middle English and Older Scots red(e) ‘red’ no doubt denoting someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion. English: from Middle English ride rede rude (Old English rīed rēod rȳd) ‘clearing’. The surname may be topographic for someone who lived in or near a clearing or habitational for someone who lived at one of a number of places so named including Rede Court in Strood (Kent) Rides in Eastchurch (Kent) Ride Way in Ewhurst (Surrey) and Reed Farm in Wadhurst (Sussex). The word is particularly common in the southeastern counties of England from Kent to the Isle of Wight. See also Rider and Reader . English: habitational name from Read (Lancashire) Reed (Hertfordshire) or Rede (Suffolk). The Lancashire placename derives from Old English rǣge ‘roe female roe deer’ + hēafod ‘head’. The Hertfordshire placename derives from Old English rȳhth ‘rough piece of ground’. The etymology of the Suffolk placename is uncertain.

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


Similar surnames: Reede, Reeds, Redd, Red, Ree, Read, Reid, Need, Rees, Reek

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Where is the Reed family from?

You can see how Reed families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Reed family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Reed families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 1,572 Reed families living in Ontario. This was about 46% of all the recorded Reed's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Reed families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Reed surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Reed ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Reed. 35% of Reed men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Reed women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Reed were Salesman and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Reed | 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
    35%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Salesman
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Clerk
    8%
  • Teacher
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Reed family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Reed. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Reed census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 114,000 immigration records available for the last name Reed. 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 286,000 military records available for the last name Reed. For the veterans among your Reed ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Reed lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Reed life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Reed in 1940 was 40, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Reed

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