NameCensus.

UK surname

Rea

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Ríogh," meaning "descendant of the king."

In the 1881 census there were 1,443 people recorded with the Rea surname, ranking it #2,885 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,397, ranked #2,005, up from #2,885 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bromsgrove, Camden and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rea is 3,445 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 135.4%.

1881 census count

1,443

Ranked #2,885

Modern count

3,397

2016, ranked #2,005

Peak year

2010

3,445 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rea had 1,443 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,885 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,397 in 2016, ranked #2,005.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,847 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Rea surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rea surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rea surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rea over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,413 #2,040
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1881 historical 1,443 #2,885
1891 historical 137 #19,501
1901 historical 1,847 #2,845
1997 modern 3,153 #2,039
1998 modern 3,285 #2,037
1999 modern 3,361 #2,011
2000 modern 3,328 #2,025
2001 modern 3,243 #2,030
2002 modern 3,389 #2,000
2003 modern 3,317 #1,990
2004 modern 3,258 #2,023
2005 modern 3,196 #2,034
2006 modern 3,208 #2,034
2007 modern 3,220 #2,048
2008 modern 3,249 #2,049
2009 modern 3,338 #2,047
2010 modern 3,445 #2,026
2011 modern 3,423 #2,013
2012 modern 3,302 #2,042
2013 modern 3,398 #2,020
2014 modern 3,432 #2,015
2015 modern 3,406 #2,007
2016 modern 3,397 #2,005

Geography

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Where Reas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, Liverpool and Bromsgrove, Upton Warren. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bromsgrove, Camden, Huntingdonshire, Greenend and Carnbroe and Liverpool. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bromsgrove, Upton Warren Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bromsgrove 002 Bromsgrove
2 Camden 020 Camden
3 Huntingdonshire 006 Huntingdonshire
4 Greenend and Carnbroe North Lanarkshire
5 Liverpool 004 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rea

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rea surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rea

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rea, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Rea surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Rea household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rea is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rea is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rea falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rea is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rea, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rea

The surname REA has its origins in Scotland and England, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "ra," which means a roe or small deer. This suggests that the name may have originated as a nickname for someone who lived near an area frequented by deer or who had a deer-like appearance or characteristics.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it is spelled as "de Raa." The Pipe Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer during the reign of Henry II. This early spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been a locative surname, referring to someone who lived near a place associated with deer.

In Scotland, the name REA appears in various historical records from the 13th century onwards. For example, John de Rea is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which contain the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This record suggests that the REA family held a position of some importance in medieval Scotland.

The Domesday Book, a great survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname REA. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname, such as Raa in Yorkshire and Reades in Surrey.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname REA. One of the earliest was John Rea (c. 1470 - 1539), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Glasgow from 1530 until his death. Another prominent figure was Henry Rea (1612 - 1670), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1670.

In the literary world, the name is associated with writers such as Lilian Rea (1879 - 1949), an American novelist and short story writer, and Alastair Reid (1926 - 2014), a Scottish poet and scholar who gained recognition for his work on Spanish literature.

Other notable individuals with the surname REA include Samuel Rea (1822 - 1904), an American industrialist and financier who served as the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and John Rea (1755 - 1829), a prominent American Presbyterian minister and educator who co-founded the University of Pennsylvania.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rea families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rea surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Worcestershire leads with 267 Reas recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.45x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 267 12.45x
Middlesex 188 1.15x
Lancashire 158 0.81x
Warwickshire 113 2.73x
Gloucestershire 103 3.20x
Yorkshire 102 0.63x
Angus 94 6.18x
Northumberland 78 3.19x
Lanarkshire 71 1.34x
Durham 66 1.35x
Surrey 55 0.69x
Shropshire 34 2.40x
Herefordshire 30 4.46x
Staffordshire 28 0.51x
Cumberland 27 1.91x
Somerset 27 1.02x
Devon 17 0.50x
Glamorgan 15 0.52x
Dumfriesshire 14 3.86x
Essex 14 0.43x
Lincolnshire 13 0.50x
Cheshire 12 0.33x
Hampshire 12 0.36x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.54x
Renfrewshire 12 0.94x
Westmorland 12 3.33x
Berkshire 11 0.89x
Berwickshire 11 5.53x
Dunbartonshire 9 2.04x
Kent 8 0.14x
Perthshire 8 1.09x
Midlothian 7 0.32x
Kincardineshire 6 3.00x
Sussex 6 0.22x
Ayrshire 4 0.33x
Cardiganshire 4 1.00x
Roxburghshire 4 1.35x
Argyllshire 3 0.66x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.30x
Hertfordshire 3 0.27x
Royal Navy 3 1.53x
Suffolk 3 0.15x
Anglesey 2 0.69x
Denbighshire 2 0.32x
Derbyshire 2 0.08x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.07x
Bedfordshire 1 0.12x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.15x
Channel Islands 1 0.21x
Fife 1 0.10x
Flintshire 1 0.23x
Monmouthshire 1 0.08x
Northamptonshire 1 0.06x
Radnorshire 1 0.75x
Wiltshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bromsgrove in Worcestershire leads with 93 Reas recorded in 1881 and an index of 128.88x.

Place Total Index
Bromsgrove 93 128.88x
Aston 68 5.96x
Liverpool 42 3.55x
Birmingham 38 2.75x
Dundee 36 6.34x
Kempsey 30 369.00x
Govan 28 2.13x
Kensington London 28 3.07x
Holy Trinity 27 6.90x
Islington London 23 1.45x
Barony 22 1.64x
Forfar 22 26.71x
St Vigeans 21 25.58x
Gateshead 20 5.47x
Ilton 19 772.36x
Kirkdale 19 5.80x
Worcester St John 19 74.22x
West Derby 18 3.16x
Holy Trinity St Mary 16 64.59x
Bishopwearmouth 15 3.58x
Claines 15 25.49x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 14 4.62x
Monkwearmouth Shore 14 14.68x
Newington 14 31.25x
Kings Norton 13 6.76x
Westgate 13 8.59x
Newington 12 1.98x
Clerkenwell London 11 2.84x
Great Malvern 11 24.59x
Limehouse London 11 6.10x
Plymouth Charles The 11 7.31x
Sculcoates 11 4.26x
Brough 10 283.29x
Coldingham 10 55.96x
Glasgow 10 1.06x
Tweedmouth 10 32.84x
Bishops Frome 9 220.05x
Camberwell 9 0.86x
Cambuslang 9 16.81x
Childrey 9 310.34x
Dawley 9 17.44x
Elswick 9 4.62x
Merthyr Tydfil 9 3.28x
Paddington London 9 1.49x
Stapleford 9 50.08x
Stretford 9 8.40x
Tynemouth 9 6.88x
Barnwood 8 185.19x
Barrow In Furness 8 3.02x
Battersea 8 1.32x
Bristol St Augustine 8 15.40x
Caldewgate 8 10.33x
Chelsea London 8 1.62x
Everton 8 1.29x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 8 13.58x
Gloucester St Catherine 8 88.20x
Godalming 8 15.89x
Kingswinford 8 3.98x
Ombersley 8 67.00x
St Marylebone London 8 0.91x
Willesden 8 5.17x
Wooler 8 93.13x
Colwall 7 83.83x
Doverdale 7 2187.50x
Egremont 7 20.77x
Gloucester St John Baptist 7 33.67x
Great Grimsby 7 4.20x
Kidderminster Borough 7 5.58x
Mile End Old Town 7 2.70x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 4.80x
Poplar London 7 2.26x
Shoreditch London 7 0.98x
Southcoates 7 7.75x
St George Hanover 7 3.27x
Crowle 6 202.02x
Dumfries 6 16.77x
Hallow 6 57.14x
Lassington 6 266.67x
Pendleton In Salford 6 2.59x
Tettenhall 6 17.71x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rea surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 114
Elizabeth 52
Sarah 44
Jane 34
Ann 27
Ellen 26
Alice 25
Annie 24
Eliza 19
Margaret 19
Emma 18
Florence 18
Emily 16
Catherine 14
Isabella 14
Hannah 13
Harriet 13
Edith 9
Fanny 8
Martha 8
Agnes 7
Amelia 7
Clara 7
Louisa 7
Anne 6
Rose 6
Ada 5
Frances 5
Kate 5
Anna 4
Esther 4
Ethel 4
Gertrude 4
Jessie 4
Julia 4
Lucy 4
Minnie 4
Susan 4
Caroline 3
Francis 3
Lizzie 3
Maria 3
Maryann 3
Maud 3
Rosa 3
Bertha 2
Constance 2
Eugenie 2
Lydia 2
Margeret 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rea surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 108
John 81
George 55
Thomas 54
James 47
Charles 33
Alfred 27
Henry 27
Joseph 19
Robert 15
Arthur 14
Walter 14
Alexander 13
Edward 13
Albert 11
Harry 9
Frederick 8
Edwin 7
Samuel 7
Benjamin 6
David 6
Frank 6
Christopher 5
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Herbert 4
Sidney 4
Daniel 3
Harold 3
Matthew 3
Percy 3
Stephen 3
Thos. 3
Andrew 2
Chas. 2
Edgar 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Harvey 2
Isaac 2
Jas. 2
Joshua 2
Louis 2
Mathew 2
Michael 2
Owen 2
Philip 2
Richard 2
Fred 1
Worth 1

FAQ

Rea surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rea surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,443 people were recorded with the Rea surname. That placed it at #2,885 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rea surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,397 in 2016. That gives Rea a modern rank of #2,005.

What does the Rea surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Ríogh," meaning "descendant of the king."

What does the Rea map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rea bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.