NameCensus.

UK surname

Reeds

A surname referring to a person living near reeds or marshes.

In the 1881 census there were 146 people recorded with the Reeds surname, ranking it #15,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 212, ranked #18,843, down from #15,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Matlock, Ewell and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Portsmouth, Tameside and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Reeds is 329 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.2%.

1881 census count

146

Ranked #15,752

Modern count

212

2016, ranked #18,843

Peak year

1861

329 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Reeds had 146 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016, ranked #18,843.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 329 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Reeds surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Reeds surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Reeds 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 147 #13,084
1861 historical 329 #7,748
1881 historical 146 #15,752
1891 historical 313 #10,723
1901 historical 220 #14,245
1911 historical 266 #12,395
1997 modern 235 #15,895
1998 modern 237 #16,272
1999 modern 235 #16,458
2000 modern 238 #16,290
2001 modern 225 #16,664
2002 modern 231 #16,677
2003 modern 221 #16,987
2004 modern 221 #17,066
2005 modern 223 #16,938
2006 modern 227 #16,842
2007 modern 227 #17,041
2008 modern 225 #17,282
2009 modern 227 #17,544
2010 modern 228 #17,844
2011 modern 214 #18,436
2012 modern 211 #18,539
2013 modern 207 #19,093
2014 modern 217 #18,645
2015 modern 213 #18,769
2016 modern 212 #18,843

Geography

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Where Reeds' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Matlock, Ewell, London parishes, Alfriston and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Portsmouth, Tameside, High Peak, South Kesteven and Fareham. 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 Matlock Derbyshire
2 Ewell Surrey
3 London parishes London 3
4 Alfriston Sussex
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Portsmouth 023 Portsmouth
2 Tameside 007 Tameside
3 High Peak 004 High Peak
4 South Kesteven 007 South Kesteven
5 Fareham 004 Fareham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Reeds

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Reeds

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Reeds surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Reeds household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Reeds is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Reeds is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Reeds falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Reeds is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Reeds

The surname Reeds is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "reod," meaning a reed plant or a marsh. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a reedy area or marshland.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Reeds can be traced back to the 13th century, with various spellings such as Rede, Reed, and Reede appearing in historical records. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert de la Rede, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1221.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a Thomas del Rede in Oxfordshire, indicating the surname's presence in different regions of England during the medieval period.

The Reeds surname has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Reed in Hertfordshire and Reedness in Yorkshire. These locations likely derived their names from the prevalence of reed plants in the area, further solidifying the connection between the surname and its topographic origins.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname Reeds are:

1. Isaac Reed (1742-1807), an English editor and biographer known for his works on Shakespeare and other literary figures. 2. Andrew Reed (1787-1862), an English Congregational minister and philanthropist who founded several charitable organizations. 3. Thomas German Reed (1817-1888), an English dramatist and impresario who helped popularize the theatre in London's West End. 4. John Rees (1837-1896), a Welsh coal magnate and industrialist, also known as John Reeds, who played a significant role in the development of the coal industry in South Wales. 5. Sir Thomas Lawrence Reed (1844-1935), an Australian politician and judge who served as the Premier of Western Australia from 1900 to 1901.

The Reeds surname has been present in various parts of England throughout history, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "reod," reflecting the topographic nature of the name and its connection to marshlands and reed-covered areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Reeds families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Reeds 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. Surrey leads with 30 Reeds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.29x.

County Total Index
Surrey 30 4.29x
Yorkshire 21 1.48x
Derbyshire 18 8.02x
Middlesex 17 1.19x
Hampshire 14 4.76x
Sussex 14 5.79x
Essex 13 4.59x
Brecknockshire 6 20.93x
Kent 2 0.41x
Lancashire 2 0.12x
Somerset 2 0.87x
Cornwall 1 0.62x
Cumberland 1 0.81x
Durham 1 0.23x
Gloucestershire 1 0.36x
Pembrokeshire 1 2.19x
Royal Navy 1 5.85x
Staffordshire 1 0.21x
Worcestershire 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ewell in Surrey leads with 20 Reeds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1360.54x.

Place Total Index
Ewell 20 1360.54x
Cromford 15 2830.19x
Portsea 12 20.83x
Croydon 8 20.63x
West Ham 8 12.80x
Hipperholme Cum 7 112.18x
Llangattock 6 256.41x
St Marylebone London 6 7.84x
Barking 5 60.39x
Leeds 5 6.23x
Newhaven 5 255.10x
Brighton 4 8.20x
Hastings St Mary In The 4 77.52x
Kirkburton 4 238.10x
Shoreditch London 4 6.44x
Matlock 3 99.67x
Pannal 3 220.59x
Bethnal Green London 2 3.21x
Doulting 2 666.67x
Portsmouth 2 29.54x
St Pancras London 2 1.73x
Bristol St George 1 7.69x
Burham 1 147.06x
Chelsea London 1 2.31x
Ecclesfield 1 9.60x
Eggleston 1 270.27x
Greenwich 1 4.38x
Gwinear 1 129.87x
Kidderminster Borough 1 9.12x
Leatherhead 1 57.14x
Littlehampton 1 51.81x
Llanychaer 1 1250.00x
Oldham 1 1.82x
Paddington London 1 1.90x
Preston 1 2.20x
Rowley Regis 1 7.41x
Royal Navy 1 6.84x
Southcoates 1 12.67x
St Cuthbert W O Carleton 1 294.12x
St George Hanover 1 5.34x
Wandsworth 1 7.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 5
Alice 3
Clara 3
Ada 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Rebecca 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emely 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Ida 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Jenifer 1
Kate 1
Lidia 1
Lillian 1
Lillios 1
Louisa 1
Mance 1
Marian 1
Matilda 1
Rosa 1
Serapis 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Reeds surname: questions and answers

How common was the Reeds surname in 1881?

In 1881, 146 people were recorded with the Reeds surname. That placed it at #15,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Reeds surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 212 in 2016. That gives Reeds a modern rank of #18,843.

What does the Reeds surname mean?

A surname referring to a person living near reeds or marshes.

What does the Reeds map show?

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