Read Name Meaning: Derived form the Anglo-Saxon word for the colour red. Also similar to the Anglo-Saxon word 'ried' meaning 'woodland clearing'.
An Anglo-Saxon nickname which may relate to someone having red hair, it may have also originated from a settlement of an tribe known as the 'Readingas' (named after their chief) who lived in the town known as Reading or any other placenames similar to Read.
Discover how your Read ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.| Bedfordshire | 241 |
| Buckinghamshire | 211 |
| Berkshire | 0 |
| Cambridgeshire | 280 |
| Channel Islands | 25 |
| Cheshire | 337 |
| Cornwall | 110 |
| Cumberland | 35 |
| Derbyshire | 46 |
| Devon | 115 |
| Dorset | 669 |
| Durham | 45 |
| Essex | 346 |
| Gloucestershire | 273 |
| Hampshire | 857 |
| Herefordshire | 15 |
| Hertfordshire | 235 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 70 |
| Isle of Man | 10 |
| Kent | 657 |
| Lancashire | 771 |
| Leicestershire | 285 |
| Lincolnshire | 306 |
| London | 2,101 |
| Middlesex | 126 |
| Northumberland | 48 |
| Norfolk | 990 |
| Northamptonshire | 147 |
| Nottinghamshire | 226 |
| Oxfordshire | 71 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 70 |
| Shropshire | 71 |
| Suffolk | 1,031 |
| Somerset | 682 |
| Surrey | 73 |
| Sussex | 287 |
| Staffordshire | 355 |
| Warwickshire | 351 |
| Westmorland | 38 |
| Wiltshire | 560 |
| Worcestershire | 276 |
| Yorkshire | 576 |
| Anglesey | 0 |
| Brecknockshire | 6 |
| Cardiganshire | 0 |
| Carnarvonshire | 8 |
| Carmarthenshire | 1 |
| Denbighshire | 53 |
| Flintshire | 3 |
| Glamorgan | 22 |
| Merionethshire | 0 |
| Montgomeryshire | 3 |
| Monmouthshire | 74 |
| Pembrokeshire | 8 |
| Radnorshire | 1 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 1,849 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 765 |
| House Servant | 258 |
| Labourer | 210 |
| At Home | 165 |
| Dress Maker | 162 |
| Farm Labourer | 146 |
| Servant | 119 |
| Pauper | 95 |
| Laundress | 83 |
| Carpenter | 79 |
| Annuitant | 76 |
| Shoe Maker | 71 |
| General Servant | 69 |
| House Keeper | 59 |
| Errand Boy | 55 |
| Butcher | 47 |
| Gardener | 47 |
| Nurse | 43 |
| Blacksmith | 39 |
| Lace Maker | 37 |
| Tailor | 36 |
| Coal Miner | 35 |
| Cook | 34 |
| Farm Servant | 34 |
| Name | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| William Read | 9,666 |
| Mary Read | 8,878 |
| John Read | 7,592 |
| Elizabeth Read | 6,190 |
| George Read | 5,779 |
| James Read | 4,867 |
| Sarah Read | 4,858 |
| Thomas Read | 4,819 |
| Charles Read | 3,817 |
| Ann Read | 3,094 |
| Henry Read | 2,948 |
| Jane Read | 2,539 |
| Eliza Read | 2,312 |
| Emma Read | 2,245 |
| Joseph Read | 2,235 |
| Robert Read | 2,196 |
| Ellen Read | 2,166 |
| Alice Read | 2,131 |
| Frederick Read | 2,003 |
| Annie Read | 1,888 |
| Emily Read | 1,739 |
| Alfred Read | 1,702 |
| Edward Read | 1,667 |
| Arthur Read | 1,574 |
| Hannah Read | 1,382 |
| Rank | Surname | Match | Census Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reed | 75% | 171,108 |
| 2 | Read | 100% | 149,995 |
| 3 | Reid | 75% | 45,698 |
| 4 | Ord | 25% | 11,990 |
| 5 | Reade | 80% | 6,536 |
| 6 | Rood | 50% | 3,489 |
| 7 | Road | 75% | 2,872 |
| 8 | Aird | 25% | 2,306 |
| 9 | Rhead | 80% | 2,255 |
| 10 | Ride | 25% | 2,240 |
| 11 | Red | 75% | 1,852 |
| 12 | Ried | 50% | 1,303 |
| 13 | Raid | 50% | 1,290 |
| 14 | Redd | 75% | 1,250 |
| 15 | Rud | 50% | 928 |
| 16 | Reede | 60% | 874 |
| 17 | Rod | 50% | 681 |
| 18 | Roud | 50% | 625 |
| 19 | Rade | 50% | 523 |
| 20 | Orde | 0% | 455 |
| 21 | Rode | 25% | 370 |
| 22 | Rude | 25% | 288 |
| 23 | Raud | 50% | 255 |
| 24 | Rid | 50% | 254 |
| 25 | Roughead | 50% | 243 |
| 26 | Ard | 25% | 222 |
| 27 | Rad | 75% | 168 |
| 28 | Rodie | 20% | 123 |
| 29 | Ruda | 25% | 120 |
The surname Read is the 2nd most popular variant of Reed.