NameCensus.

UK surname

Reeks

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a stream, brook, or reedy area.

In the 1881 census there were 457 people recorded with the Reeks surname, ranking it #7,240 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 511, ranked #9,834, down from #7,240 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Wollastone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Poole and Torfaen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Reeks is 682 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.8%.

1881 census count

457

Ranked #7,240

Modern count

511

2016, ranked #9,834

Peak year

1911

682 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Reeks had 457 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,240 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 511 in 2016, ranked #9,834.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 682 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Reeks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Reeks surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Reeks 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 330 #7,062
1861 historical 291 #8,653
1881 historical 457 #7,240
1891 historical 521 #7,183
1901 historical 592 #7,144
1911 historical 682 #6,200
1997 modern 595 #8,199
1998 modern 606 #8,329
1999 modern 590 #8,540
2000 modern 600 #8,426
2001 modern 579 #8,495
2002 modern 588 #8,565
2003 modern 572 #8,602
2004 modern 579 #8,550
2005 modern 551 #8,767
2006 modern 562 #8,687
2007 modern 567 #8,703
2008 modern 588 #8,548
2009 modern 595 #8,649
2010 modern 574 #9,064
2011 modern 583 #8,880
2012 modern 560 #9,050
2013 modern 548 #9,359
2014 modern 545 #9,461
2015 modern 523 #9,694
2016 modern 511 #9,834

Geography

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Where Reeks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Wollastone, St Mary Islington and Wimborne Minster, Gussage All Saints, Chalbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Poole, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Forest of Dean. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Wollastone Monmouthshire
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Wimborne Minster, Gussage All Saints, Chalbury Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 019 Cornwall
2 Poole 008 Poole
3 Torfaen 012 Torfaen
4 Monmouthshire 010 Monmouthshire
5 Forest of Dean 008 Forest of Dean

Forenames

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First names often paired with Reeks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Reeks

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Reeks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Reeks 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Reeks is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Reeks is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Reeks 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 Reeks 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 Reeks, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Reeks

The surname REEKS is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "riec" meaning "smoke" or "reek." It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for someone who worked with smoke or was responsible for maintaining a fire, such as a baker or blacksmith.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname REEKS can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century onwards. One notable reference is in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which list a William Reyke in Nottinghamshire.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, including Reyk, Reek, and Reyke, reflecting the variations in spelling during that period. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 mention a John Reyk in Yorkshire, while the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 list a Robert Reyk in Huntingdonshire.

The surname REEKS is also associated with several place names in England, such as Reeks Moor in Derbyshire and Reeks Hill in Worcestershire. These place names likely derived from the Old English word "riec," suggesting a connection between the surname and these locations.

Some notable individuals with the surname REEKS throughout history include:

1. John Reeks (c. 1559-1632), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Truro in 1601. 2. Thomas Reeks (1774-1836), an English clergyman and author known for his work on the history of the Bible. 3. Henry Reeks (1838-1900), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London. 4. Trenham Reeks (1823-1879), an English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes in England. 5. William Reeks (1819-1875), an English cricketer who played for Sussex County Cricket Club in the mid-19th century.

While the surname REEKS is not among the most common surnames today, its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, reflecting the occupational and geographic influences that shaped many English surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Reeks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Reeks 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. Hampshire leads with 109 Reeks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.85x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 109 11.85x
Middlesex 79 1.76x
Dorset 54 18.34x
Gloucestershire 51 5.79x
Surrey 38 1.74x
Hertfordshire 30 9.70x
Durham 19 1.42x
Lancashire 13 0.24x
Sussex 13 1.72x
Devon 10 1.07x
Lincolnshire 7 0.98x
Essex 6 0.68x
Kent 5 0.33x
Worcestershire 5 0.85x
Bedfordshire 4 1.72x
Staffordshire 4 0.26x
Yorkshire 3 0.07x
Leicestershire 2 0.40x
Royal Navy 2 3.74x
Somerset 2 0.28x
Channel Islands 1 0.75x
Cornwall 1 0.20x
Monmouthshire 1 0.31x
Warwickshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Christchurch in Hampshire leads with 38 Reeks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 190.57x.

Place Total Index
Christchurch 38 190.57x
Islington London 29 6.67x
St Pancras London 18 4.98x
Woolaston 16 1203.01x
West Parley 15 2884.62x
Portsea 14 7.77x
Lydney 13 286.34x
Poole St James 13 117.43x
Atherton 12 61.92x
Broxbourne 12 195.76x
Winchcomb 12 274.60x
Barnard Castle 10 151.52x
Darlington 9 17.46x
St George Hanover 9 15.37x
Battersea 8 4.85x
Lambeth 8 2.04x
Standon 8 251.57x
Aldershot 7 22.72x
Beddington 7 82.74x
Fareham 7 63.35x
Holdenhurst 7 29.02x
Spalding 7 49.16x
Tidenham 7 514.71x
Camberwell 6 2.09x
Colchester St Mary At 6 191.08x
Gussage All Sts 6 937.50x
Lymington 6 88.76x
Stoodleigh 6 882.35x
Andover 5 57.54x
Brighton 5 3.28x
Clerkenwell London 5 4.72x
Evesham St Lawrence 5 160.77x
Portsmouth 5 23.61x
Sawbridgeworth 5 106.84x
Burton Upon Trent 4 11.29x
Clapham 4 7.13x
Edmonton 4 11.07x
Millbrook 4 17.27x
Northill 4 184.33x
Sopley 4 317.46x
St Marylebone London 4 1.67x
Wadhurst 4 80.48x
Wimborne Minster 4 84.03x
Bridge 3 227.27x
Croydon 3 2.47x
Gargrave 3 151.52x
Hampreston 3 140.19x
Radipole 3 147.78x
Soberton 3 177.51x
Southampton St Mary 3 5.19x
Ware 3 33.82x
Weymouth 3 53.76x
Heston 2 13.42x
Littlehampton 2 33.11x
Lubenham 2 219.78x
Royal Navy 2 4.38x
St Clement Danes 2 27.55x
Thruxton 2 408.16x
Topsham 2 45.35x
Birmingham 1 0.27x
Brampford Speke 1 135.14x
Cheltenham 1 1.47x
Chepstow 1 18.12x
Chislehurst 1 12.18x
Dibden 1 128.21x
East Barnet 1 16.31x
Frome 1 5.79x
Longfleet 1 29.33x
Newhaven 1 16.26x
Newington 1 0.60x
Newland 1 13.51x
Pennington In Leigh 1 9.78x
Penton Grafton 1 140.85x
Portland 1 6.31x
St Helier 1 2.31x
St Martin In Fields 1 3.72x
Thundridge 1 138.89x
Westminster St 1 6.05x
Westminster St John 1 1.83x
Wimborne 1 28.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Elizabeth 12
Sarah 12
Emily 11
Jane 9
Eliza 8
Ann 7
Lucy 7
Emma 6
Alice 5
Annie 5
Florence 5
Louisa 5
Maria 5
Ellen 4
Esther 4
Kate 4
Martha 4
Anna 3
Edith 3
Fanny 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Bessie 2
C. 2
Caroline 2
Christiana 2
Clara 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Hannah 2
Isabel 2
Janet 2
Lilly 2
Margaret 2
Matilda 2
Adriana 1
Bertha 1
Blanche 1
Constance 1
Dora 1
E.A. 1
Elishua 1
Elizth.M. 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 33
George 23
Henry 13
Charles 12
John 12
Alfred 10
Frederick 9
Joseph 9
Walter 9
Edward 8
Thomas 7
James 6
Edwin 5
Ernest 5
Frank 3
Fredk. 3
Mark 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
Edmund 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Martin 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
Absolon 1
Alex 1
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
C.A. 1
Emanuel 1
Frederic 1
Fredk.J. 1
Fredk.W.A. 1
Fredrick 1
G.C. 1
Geo. 1
Herbet 1
Hubert 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Mack 1
Melbourne 1
Mysanda 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Reeks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Reeks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 457 people were recorded with the Reeks surname. That placed it at #7,240 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Reeks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 511 in 2016. That gives Reeks a modern rank of #9,834.

What does the Reeks surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a stream, brook, or reedy area.

What does the Reeks map show?

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