NameCensus.

UK surname

Reeves

Derived from the Old French word "rives," indicating someone who lived near a riverbank or shore.

In the 1881 census there were 12,269 people recorded with the Reeves surname, ranking it #347 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17,657, ranked #349, down from #347 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ashford, Stratford-on-Avon and Horsham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Reeves is 18,681 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.9%.

1881 census count

12,269

Ranked #347

Modern count

17,657

2016, ranked #349

Peak year

1999

18,681 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Reeves had 12,269 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #347 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 17,657 in 2016, ranked #349.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17,101 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Reeves surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Reeves surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Reeves 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 7,238 #389
1861 historical 6,272 #445
1881 historical 12,269 #347
1891 historical 12,498 #354
1901 historical 15,750 #325
1911 historical 17,101 #275
1997 modern 17,826 #329
1998 modern 18,592 #326
1999 modern 18,681 #327
2000 modern 18,409 #329
2001 modern 18,050 #329
2002 modern 18,441 #328
2003 modern 17,911 #330
2004 modern 17,875 #329
2005 modern 17,377 #335
2006 modern 17,357 #335
2007 modern 17,461 #335
2008 modern 17,459 #337
2009 modern 17,871 #339
2010 modern 18,236 #337
2011 modern 17,956 #339
2012 modern 17,679 #337
2013 modern 18,012 #340
2014 modern 18,090 #341
2015 modern 17,768 #345
2016 modern 17,657 #349

Geography

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Where Reeves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ashford, Stratford-on-Avon and Horsham. 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 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ashford 012 Ashford
2 Ashford 011 Ashford
3 Stratford-on-Avon 004 Stratford-on-Avon
4 Ashford 013 Ashford
5 Horsham 006 Horsham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Reeves

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Reeves

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Reeves, 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 Reeves surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Reeves 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

London Fringe

Within London, Reeves is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Reeves 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

Reeves falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Reeves

The surname Reeves is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word "gerefa," which means "bailiff" or "reeve." A reeve was an official appointed to oversee land and collect rents or taxes on behalf of a lord or king. The name originated in the 11th century during the Anglo-Saxon period in England.

While the earliest recorded instance of the surname Reeves is not definitively known, it is believed to have first appeared in various records, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was likely initially used as a descriptive term for a person's occupation before becoming a hereditary surname.

In the Middle Ages, the surname Reeves was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. It was also found in other parts of the country, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The name has undergone several variations in spelling over the centuries, including Reve, Reave, Reeve, and Reves, among others.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Reeves was John Reeves, a 14th-century English clergyman and scholar who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1384 to 1396. Another historical figure was William Reeves, born in 1667, who was a prominent English mathematician and inventor known for his contributions to the development of early calculating machines.

In the 19th century, John Reeves (1774-1856) was a British botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of Chinese flora and fauna. He is particularly renowned for his work on the "Plantae Wilsonianae," a collection of plant specimens from China.

Arthur Reeves (1856-1942) was an English actor and playwright who wrote numerous successful plays during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including "The Conquerors" and "The Unchastened Woman."

Martha Reeves (born 1941) is an American singer and former lead vocalist of the Motown vocal group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, known for hits such as "Dancing in the Street" and "(Love is Like a) Heat Wave."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Reeves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Reeves 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 1,708 Reeves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.43x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,708 1.43x
Kent 1,248 3.06x
Surrey 1,027 1.76x
Staffordshire 867 2.15x
Hampshire 791 3.23x
Warwickshire 757 2.51x
Sussex 638 3.16x
Lancashire 578 0.41x
Wiltshire 512 4.84x
Gloucestershire 382 1.63x
Shropshire 339 3.28x
Berkshire 298 3.32x
Essex 283 1.20x
Yorkshire 268 0.23x
Devon 253 1.02x
Somerset 234 1.21x
Worcestershire 232 1.48x
Oxfordshire 228 3.09x
Cheshire 165 0.62x
Derbyshire 156 0.83x
Northamptonshire 133 1.18x
Buckinghamshire 124 1.71x
Hertfordshire 121 1.47x
Leicestershire 104 0.78x
Durham 83 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 63 0.39x
Dorset 61 0.78x
Monmouthshire 47 0.54x
Cumberland 44 0.43x
Glamorgan 44 0.21x
Herefordshire 44 0.90x
Cambridgeshire 42 0.55x
Norfolk 41 0.22x
Carmarthenshire 39 0.77x
Lincolnshire 37 0.19x
Northumberland 35 0.20x
Suffolk 35 0.24x
Bedfordshire 34 0.55x
Flintshire 34 1.06x
Lanarkshire 19 0.05x
Royal Navy 17 1.19x
Brecknockshire 14 0.59x
Midlothian 14 0.09x
Cornwall 13 0.10x
Denbighshire 8 0.18x
Huntingdonshire 7 0.29x
Renfrewshire 7 0.08x
Anglesey 6 0.28x
Perthshire 6 0.11x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.08x
Isle of Man 4 0.18x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.11x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.06x
Fife 2 0.03x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.12x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Radnorshire 1 0.10x
Rutland 1 0.11x
Westmorland 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 259 Reeves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.58x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 259 2.58x
Aston 248 2.98x
Lambeth 192 1.84x
West Bromwich 170 7.35x
Camberwell 151 1.98x
Bethnal Green London 144 2.77x
Brighton 134 3.29x
Islington London 124 1.07x
Portsea 122 2.54x
St Pancras London 120 1.25x
St Marylebone London 114 1.78x
Stoke Upon Trent 106 2.47x
Hackney London 103 1.54x
Deptford St Paul 100 3.18x
Southampton St Mary 95 6.16x
Bermondsey 92 2.58x
West Ham 91 1.75x
Hammersmith London 88 2.99x
Kensington London 85 1.28x
Mile End Old Town 84 4.45x
Shoreditch London 78 1.50x
Chelsea London 64 1.78x
Battersea 63 1.43x
Lewisham 61 2.80x
Burslem 59 5.10x
Bromley London 58 2.20x
Kings Norton 56 4.00x
Reading St Giles 54 6.13x
Newington 52 1.18x
Acton 51 7.27x
South Stoneham 51 9.59x
Croydon 50 1.55x
Greenwich 50 2.62x
Reading St Mary 49 6.81x
Droxford 48 51.29x
Maidstone 47 3.87x
Millbrook 45 7.29x
Swindon 45 5.48x
Cheltenham 44 2.43x
Handsworth 43 4.32x
Southwark St George Martyr 43 1.79x
Bow London 42 2.76x
Liverpool 42 0.49x
Romsey Extra 42 28.80x
St George Hanover 42 2.69x
Lambourne 41 116.81x
Walsall Foreign 41 1.97x
Plumstead 40 2.94x
Toxteth Park 39 0.81x
Cheddar 38 39.21x
Wooburn 38 38.12x
Coventry St Michael 36 3.71x
Melksham 36 19.59x
St Luke London 36 1.88x
Everton 35 0.77x
Cannock 34 4.82x
Lyneham 33 79.77x
Paddington London 33 0.75x
Westbury 33 13.36x
Northampton St Giles 32 7.46x
Stratton St Margaret 32 19.71x
Poplar London 31 1.37x
Ashford 30 7.55x
Clerkenwell London 30 1.06x
Oldham 30 0.65x
Henley On Thames 29 19.16x
Harborne 28 2.16x
Ilkeston 28 5.33x
Launton 28 114.71x
Whitstable 28 13.98x
Alverstoke 27 3.04x
Kirkdale 27 1.13x
Baschurch 26 36.76x
Fritwell 26 113.14x
Tonbridge 26 1.77x
Trentham 26 7.57x
Manchester 25 0.39x
Newton 25 2.28x
Rotherhithe 25 1.69x
Warwick St Nicholas 24 10.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 741
Elizabeth 491
Sarah 462
Ann 231
Jane 231
Eliza 212
Emma 200
Annie 198
Alice 193
Ellen 169
Emily 163
Louisa 107
Caroline 105
Martha 98
Hannah 92
Fanny 90
Harriet 90
Charlotte 84
Kate 84
Ada 72
Clara 72
Edith 66
Florence 66
Maria 63
Margaret 56
Harriett 54
Agnes 53
Anne 49
Frances 49
Esther 44
Lucy 44
Rose 41
Catherine 40
Matilda 39
Amelia 38
Rebecca 38
Susan 37
Julia 36
Minnie 33
Elizth. 29
Ethel 27
Laura 27
Sophia 27
Amy 25
Rosa 25
Isabella 23
Jessie 23
Lydia 23
Lizzie 19
Ruth 19

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 823
John 590
George 537
Thomas 394
James 349
Charles 293
Henry 261
Joseph 197
Alfred 188
Edward 153
Arthur 128
Samuel 123
Robert 118
Richard 116
Walter 111
Frederick 96
Albert 87
Harry 75
Frank 70
Ernest 59
Herbert 52
David 51
Benjamin 43
Edwin 37
Francis 32
Thos. 29
Wm. 27
Jesse 25
Fred 24
Stephen 23
Geo. 22
Fredk. 17
Fredrick 17
Daniel 16
Edmund 16
Mark 15
Isaac 13
Reuben 13
Tom 12
Amos 11
Chas. 11
Horace 11
Sidney 11
Jonathan 10
Lewis 10
Willm. 10
Percy 9
Josiah 8
Philip 8
Sydney 8

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Reeves households.

FAQ

Reeves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Reeves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,269 people were recorded with the Reeves surname. That placed it at #347 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Reeves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 17,657 in 2016. That gives Reeves a modern rank of #349.

What does the Reeves surname mean?

Derived from the Old French word "rives," indicating someone who lived near a riverbank or shore.

What does the Reeves map show?

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