Reese Family History

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Reese Name Meaning

Welsh: from one of the most common Welsh personal names, Rhys, Old Welsh Ris ‘ardor’. This was the name of the last ruler of an independent kingdom of Wales, Rhys ap Tewder, who died in 1093 unsuccessfully opposing the Norman advance. North German and Dutch: nickname for a very big man, from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch rese ‘giant’. German: habitational name from places called Rees or Reese, in Rhineland and Lower Saxony.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Breese, Heese, Reise, Rees, Weese, Meese, Beese, Feese, Hees, Neese

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Reese Family Origin

Where is the Reese family from?

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You can see how Reese families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Reese family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Reese families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 38 Reese families living in Ontario. This was about 31% of all the recorded Reese's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Reese families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Reese surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Reese

Reese Family Occupations

What did your Reese ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Reese. 32% of Reese men worked as a Farmer and 28% of Reese women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Reese were Laborer and Labourer

View Census data for Reese | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    32%
  • Labourer
    11%
  • Miner
    8%
  • Laborer
    6%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Housekeeper
    28%
  • Cook
    10%
  • Domestic
    10%
  • Labourer
    10%

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

Reese Historical Records

What Reese family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 263,000 census records available for the last name Reese. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Reese census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Reese

Passenger List

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Reese. 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 Reese immigration records

Draft Card

There are 65,000 military records available for the last name Reese. For the veterans among your Reese ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Reese military records

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Reese Life Expectancy

What is the average Reese lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Reese life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Reese in 1940 was 47, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Reese

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Reese ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Reese Family Ancestors

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