Reid Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Reid Name Meaning: A nickname for someone with a red face or red hair. "read" which means red. Old English 'Ried' also means 'woodland clearing'.

The name 'Ried' could have easily been topographic for someone who lived in a clearing. Habitational for various places in England.

Discover how your Reid ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Reid Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Reid family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 319
House Servant 61
At Home 58
Agricultural Labourer 45
Labourer 39
Servant 36
Dress Maker 31
General Servant 21
Annuitant 18
Scholar At Home 18
Gardener 16
Errand Boy 16
Cook 14
Farm Labourer 13
Shoe Maker 13
House Keeper 13
House Maid 12
Laundress 12
Wife Of Above 11
Carpenter 11
Clerk 10
Engineer 10
Mariner 10
Baker 9
Seamstress 9

Reid Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Reed 75% 171,108
2 Read 75% 149,995
3 Reid 100% 45,698
4 Ord 25% 11,990
5 Reade 60% 6,536
6 Rood 50% 3,489
7 Road 50% 2,872
8 Aird 25% 2,306
9 Ride 50% 2,240
10 Red 75% 1,852
11 Ried 50% 1,303
12 Raid 75% 1,290
13 Rud 50% 928
14 Reede 60% 874
15 Rod 50% 681
16 Roud 50% 625
17 Rade 25% 523
18 Orde 0% 455
19 Rode 25% 370
20 Rude 25% 288
21 Raud 50% 255
22 Rid 75% 254
23 Ard 25% 222
24 Rad 50% 168
25 Rodie 40% 123
26 Ruda 25% 120
27 Wrede 40% 103

Did you know?

The surname Reid is the 3rd most popular variant of Reed.

Search for the Reid family