NameCensus.

UK surname

Reaney

A topographic surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the rough meadow".

In the 1881 census there were 508 people recorded with the Reaney surname, ranking it #6,704 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,047, ranked #5,569, up from #6,704 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eckington, Chesterfield and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Stockton-on-Tees and North East Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Reaney is 1,135 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 106.1%.

1881 census count

508

Ranked #6,704

Modern count

1,047

2016, ranked #5,569

Peak year

2002

1,135 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Reaney had 508 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,704 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,047 in 2016, ranked #5,569.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 817 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Reaney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Reaney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Reaney 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 324 #7,179
1861 historical 343 #7,444
1881 historical 508 #6,704
1891 historical 593 #6,444
1901 historical 743 #5,985
1911 historical 817 #5,391
1997 modern 1,040 #5,319
1998 modern 1,083 #5,325
1999 modern 1,094 #5,304
2000 modern 1,087 #5,315
2001 modern 1,087 #5,220
2002 modern 1,135 #5,145
2003 modern 1,101 #5,179
2004 modern 1,109 #5,154
2005 modern 1,090 #5,165
2006 modern 1,072 #5,238
2007 modern 1,066 #5,316
2008 modern 1,078 #5,304
2009 modern 1,099 #5,323
2010 modern 1,097 #5,453
2011 modern 1,088 #5,428
2012 modern 1,042 #5,540
2013 modern 1,068 #5,518
2014 modern 1,065 #5,568
2015 modern 1,057 #5,548
2016 modern 1,047 #5,569

Geography

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Where Reaneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eckington, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Norton and Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Stockton-on-Tees and North East Derbyshire. 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 Eckington Derbyshire
2 Chesterfield Derbyshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Norton Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 008 South Holland
2 Stockton-on-Tees 018 Stockton-on-Tees
3 North East Derbyshire 001 North East Derbyshire
4 Stockton-on-Tees 017 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Stockton-on-Tees 020 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Reaney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Reaney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Reaney, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Reaney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Reaney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Reaney is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Reaney is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Reaney 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 Reaney 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Reaney

The surname Reaney originates from England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "reanian" and "reana," which mean a boundary or path, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a boundary or path.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where a Roger de Reni is mentioned. The name also appears in various other historical records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1278, where a William Reny is listed.

The surname Reaney is believed to have originated in the counties of Staffordshire and Shropshire, where it was most prevalent in its early days. It may have also been derived from the place name "Reigny" or "Rigny" in Normandy, France, suggesting a possible Norman influence on the name's origins.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Renny, Rennie, and Reny, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable bearer of the name during this time was John Renny, who was involved in the construction of St. Paul's Cathedral in London in the late 14th century.

Over the centuries, the Reaney family spread across England, with notable individuals including James Reaney (1858-1949), a British artist and painter from Staffordshire, and William Reaney (1763-1833), a wealthy landowner and industrialist from Shropshire.

Another prominent figure was Sir Gerald Reaney (1856-1924), a British lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party in the early 20th century.

In the literary world, the name is associated with James Reaney (1926-2008), a Canadian poet, playwright, and literary critic who was born in Kent, England, and later emigrated to Canada.

The surname Reaney has also been carried by notable figures in other fields, such as Sir Norman Reaney (1904-1981), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of radar technology during World War II.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Reaney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Reaney 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. Yorkshire leads with 261 Reaneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.32x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 261 5.32x
Derbyshire 74 9.54x
Warwickshire 44 3.52x
Lancashire 39 0.66x
Staffordshire 26 1.55x
Middlesex 22 0.44x
Cheshire 11 1.01x
Devon 6 0.58x
Berkshire 5 1.34x
Lanarkshire 4 0.25x
Glamorgan 3 0.35x
Monmouthshire 3 0.84x
Durham 2 0.14x
Cumberland 1 0.23x
Dorset 1 0.31x
Essex 1 0.10x
Hampshire 1 0.10x
Hertfordshire 1 0.29x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.15x
Surrey 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ecclesall Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 78 Reaneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.09x.

Place Total Index
Ecclesall Bierlow 78 78.09x
Sheffield 67 42.86x
Brightside Bierlow 38 39.46x
Nether Hallam 38 57.20x
Birmingham 23 5.52x
Norton 20 312.99x
Aston 15 4.36x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 12 26.24x
Heeley 11 73.73x
Cannock 10 34.26x
Dronfield 10 100.60x
Manchester 10 3.78x
Coal Aston 9 671.64x
Eckington 9 47.75x
Westminster St John 8 13.26x
Dore 7 472.97x
Newbold Dunston 7 94.98x
Preston 7 258.30x
Wardleworth 7 20.83x
Coventry Holy Trinity 6 16.08x
Frithelstock 6 625.00x
Liverpool 6 1.68x
Manningham 6 9.92x
Northwich 6 344.83x
St Pancras London 6 1.50x
Stone 6 28.05x
Beighton 5 142.45x
Macclesfield 5 10.28x
Reading St Giles 5 13.70x
St Marylebone London 5 1.89x
Wednesbury 5 11.96x
Chesterfield 4 13.76x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 2.33x
Cardiff St Mary 3 6.31x
Glasgow 3 1.05x
St Woollos 3 7.50x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 1.69x
Stretford 3 9.27x
Totley 3 263.16x
Bradford 2 1.68x
Darlington 2 3.51x
Harpurhey 2 24.51x
Hulme 2 1.63x
Uxbridge 2 35.34x
Worsley 2 5.52x
Barony 1 0.25x
Bradfield 1 5.28x
Cottingham 1 9.45x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 3.39x
Flimby 1 27.78x
Hound 1 14.51x
Kings Norton 1 1.72x
Portland 1 5.72x
Preston 1 0.64x
Radcliffe 1 3.53x
Radford 1 2.95x
Urmston 1 26.25x
Watford 1 3.78x
West Bromwich 1 1.04x
West Thurrock 1 30.77x
Whitechapel London 1 2.05x
Wimbledon 1 3.69x
Wolverhampton 1 0.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Annie 19
Ann 18
Sarah 15
Emma 13
Elizabeth 12
Ellen 12
Eliza 9
Clara 7
Florence 7
Hannah 7
Martha 7
Jane 6
Emily 5
Charlotte 4
Edith 4
Fanny 4
Maria 4
Ada 3
Anne 3
Catherine 3
Harriet 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Rose 3
Alice 2
Christiana 2
Laura 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Selina 2
Amy 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Elinor 1
Elizth. 1
Elleanor 1
Ellenor 1
Gertrude 1
Hester 1
Isabella 1
Karoline 1
Lavinia 1
Lettice 1
Lilian 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Margary 1
Margret 1
Thiresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 30
George 27
Thomas 18
John 16
Arthur 13
Joseph 12
James 11
Mark 9
Albert 8
Charles 6
Edward 5
Harry 4
Henry 4
Michael 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Isaac 3
Robert 3
Wm. 3
Christopher 2
Edwd. 2
Fred 2
Luke 2
Patrick 2
Paul 2
Phillip 2
Samuel 2
Tom 2
Ben 1
Charlie 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Earnest 1
Ebden 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Garrett 1
Harold 1
Hebden 1
Infant 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Martin 1
Morris 1
Percy 1

FAQ

Reaney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Reaney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 508 people were recorded with the Reaney surname. That placed it at #6,704 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Reaney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,047 in 2016. That gives Reaney a modern rank of #5,569.

What does the Reaney surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the rough meadow".

What does the Reaney map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Reaney 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.