NameCensus.

UK surname

Reen

A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone residing near a boundary or border.

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Reen surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, down from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Llanwenarth and East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Arun, Ealing and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Reen is 272 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.3%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

1861

272 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Reen had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 272 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Reen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Reen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Reen 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 88 #18,569
1861 historical 272 #9,167
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 271 #11,992
1901 historical 145 #18,426
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 149 #21,214
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 158 #21,055
2001 modern 142 #22,234
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 143 #22,471
2005 modern 140 #22,774
2006 modern 135 #23,486
2007 modern 140 #23,231
2008 modern 138 #23,763
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 148 #23,697
2011 modern 150 #23,309
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 151 #23,529
2014 modern 148 #24,075
2015 modern 144 #24,369
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Reens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Llanwenarth, East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H and Stanton Harcourt, South Leigh, Northmoor. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Arun, Ealing, Kingston upon Hull and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Llanwenarth Monmouthshire
4 East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H Gloucestershire
5 Stanton Harcourt, South Leigh, Northmoor Oxfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Arun 006 Arun
2 Ealing 032 Ealing
3 Ealing 001 Ealing
4 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 015 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Reen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Reen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Reen, 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 Reen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Reen 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Reen is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Reen is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Reen falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Reen 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 Reen, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Reen

The surname "REEN" is believed to have originated from the Anglicized form of the Gaelic Irish name "O'Riain" or "O'Rinn," which means "descendant of Rían" or "descendant of Rinn." The name is thought to have first emerged in the 10th or 11th century in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Cork and Kerry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it mentions an individual named "O'Rinn" in the year 1028. The Annals also reference several other individuals with variations of the name, such as "O'Riain" and "O'Riayn," throughout the 12th and 13th centuries.

In the 16th century, during the Anglicization of Irish names, the spelling "REEN" became more prevalent as the English attempted to phonetically adapt the Gaelic name. This spelling was used in various historical records, including the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest and the Pipe Rolls of County Cork.

One notable individual with the surname "REEN" was Patrick Reen (1578-1638), an Irish Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively about the history of Ireland and the persecution of Catholics during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras.

Another prominent figure was John Reen (1693-1766), an Irish-born soldier who served in the British Army and participated in various military campaigns, including the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

In the 19th century, the name "REEN" can be found in various Irish records and manuscripts, such as the Tithe Applotment Books and the Griffith's Valuation of Ireland. One notable individual from this period was Michael Reen (1826-1899), an Irish nationalist and member of the Fenian Brotherhood, who was involved in the Irish Republican Brotherhood's uprising against British rule in 1867.

Other individuals of note with the surname "REEN" include James Reen (1854-1919), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of San Francisco from 1912 to 1914, and John Reen (1895-1972), an Irish hurler who played for the Cork senior hurling team and won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1919.

While the surname "REEN" is predominantly found in Ireland, it has also been carried by individuals in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Irish immigration, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Reen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Reen 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. Middlesex leads with 32 Reens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.26x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 32 4.26x
Lancashire 14 1.57x
Surrey 12 3.28x
Devon 4 2.56x
Hampshire 4 2.60x
Kent 4 1.56x
Monmouthshire 2 3.68x
Staffordshire 2 0.79x
Glamorgan 1 0.76x
Sussex 1 0.79x
Warwickshire 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. Hammersmith London in Middlesex leads with 28 Reens recorded in 1881 and an index of 151.35x.

Place Total Index
Hammersmith London 28 151.35x
Everton 8 28.16x
Godalming 6 260.87x
Liverpool 6 11.08x
Aldershot 4 77.52x
Deptford St Nicholas 4 197.04x
Alfold 3 2142.86x
St Martin In Fields 3 66.67x
Burslem 2 27.55x
Camberwell 2 4.17x
Llanwenarth Ultra 2 500.00x
Plymouth Charles The 2 29.03x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 16.61x
Cardiff St John 1 23.42x
Hornsey 1 10.53x
Petworth 1 131.58x
Wandsworth 1 13.83x
Warwick St Mary 1 60.98x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
George 3
John 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Edmund 2
Joseph 2
Timothy 2
Walter 2
Alexr. 1
Charles 1
David 1
Edward 1
Gregory 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Infant 1
Maurice 1
Michael 1
Michl. 1
Patk. 1
Richard 1
Voilet 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Reen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Reen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Reen surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Reen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Reen a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Reen surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone residing near a boundary or border.

What does the Reen map show?

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