NameCensus.

UK surname

Reis

A Portuguese and Sephardic Jewish occupational surname referring to a captain, chief, or leader.

In the 1881 census there were 82 people recorded with the Reis surname, ranking it #21,957 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 747, ranked #7,318, up from #21,957 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and St Mary Whitechapel. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lambeth, Wiltshire and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Reis is 747 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 811.0%.

1881 census count

82

Ranked #21,957

Modern count

747

2016, ranked #7,318

Peak year

2016

747 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Reis had 82 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,957 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 747 in 2016, ranked #7,318.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 213 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Reis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Reis surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Reis 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 82 #21,957
1891 historical 213 #14,269
1901 historical 133 #19,372
1911 historical 127 #19,749
1997 modern 300 #13,530
1998 modern 334 #12,940
1999 modern 344 #12,776
2000 modern 359 #12,333
2001 modern 343 #12,545
2002 modern 372 #12,077
2003 modern 370 #11,919
2004 modern 398 #11,321
2005 modern 404 #11,100
2006 modern 462 #10,037
2007 modern 489 #9,718
2008 modern 525 #9,286
2009 modern 572 #8,901
2010 modern 615 #8,626
2011 modern 605 #8,639
2012 modern 659 #7,987
2013 modern 710 #7,647
2014 modern 696 #7,807
2015 modern 716 #7,591
2016 modern 747 #7,318

Geography

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Where Reis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, St Mary Whitechapel, Paddington and Aberavon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lambeth, Wiltshire, Cardiff, Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)
4 Paddington London (West Districts)
5 Aberavon Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lambeth 010 Lambeth
2 Wiltshire 013 Wiltshire
3 Cardiff 017 Cardiff
4 Hammersmith and Fulham 010 Hammersmith and Fulham
5 Westminster 016 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Reis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Reis

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Reis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Reis 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Reis is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Reis 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

Reis falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Reis 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Reis

The surname REIS is of German and Portuguese origin, deriving from the Old German word "reisa" meaning journey or travel. It can also be traced back to the Portuguese word "rei", meaning king.

The name first appeared in historical records during the 12th century in various regions of Germany and Portugal. In Germany, it was prevalent in areas like Bavaria and Saxony, while in Portugal, it was concentrated around the regions of Lisbon and Porto.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name REIS can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval charters and documents from Saxony, dating back to the year 1185. Here, a certain "Heinricus Reis" is mentioned as a landowner in the town of Meissen.

In Portugal, the name REIS gained prominence during the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries. Several notable explorers and navigators bore this surname, including Pedro Álvares Cabral (1467-1520), the Portuguese explorer who is credited with the discovery of Brazil in 1500.

Another famous bearer of the REIS surname was João Fernandes Reis (1632-1696), a Portuguese architect and military engineer who worked on fortifications and public buildings across the Portuguese empire, including the iconic Monastery of Batalha in central Portugal.

The name also appeared in various place names and older spellings, such as "Reisbach" in Bavaria, which translates to "Travel's Brook", and "Reiskirchen" in Hesse, meaning "Travel's Church".

Other notable individuals with the REIS surname throughout history include:

1. Ferdinand Reis (1784-1838), a German teacher and inventor, who co-invented the first telephone together with Philipp Reis in 1861. 2. Rachel Reis-Sobreiro (1901-1983), a Brazilian writer and poet, known for her contributions to the Modernist movement in Brazilian literature. 3. Isaac Jacob Reis (1899-1977), a South African-born British mathematician and physicist, known for his work on quantum mechanics and electromagnetism. 4. Heinrich Reis (1766-1828), a German businessman and philanthropist, who founded the Reis'sche Lehr- und Denkübungsanstalt, an educational institution in Frankfurt am Main. 5. António Ferreira Reis (1887-1967), a Portuguese politician and diplomat, who served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1950 to 1958.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Reis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Reis 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 51 Reis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.38x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 51 6.38x
Hampshire 8 4.88x
Kent 5 1.83x
Lancashire 4 0.42x
Essex 3 1.90x
Flintshire 2 9.30x
Oxfordshire 2 4.05x
Surrey 2 0.51x
Worcestershire 2 1.91x
Angus 1 1.35x
Berkshire 1 1.67x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.93x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shoreditch London in Middlesex leads with 13 Reis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.50x.

Place Total Index
Shoreditch London 13 37.50x
Bethnal Green London 10 28.78x
Newport 8 898.88x
Paddington London 7 23.80x
Chiswick 6 137.30x
Charlton Next Woolwich 5 175.44x
St Pancras London 5 7.77x
Hackney London 4 8.92x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 4 353.98x
Liverpool 3 5.20x
West Ham 3 8.61x
Hope 2 186.92x
Leigh 2 157.48x
Woolvercot 2 1000.00x
Dundee 1 3.62x
Manchester 1 2.34x
Mile End Old Town 1 7.92x
Newbury 1 52.08x
Newington 1 3.38x
Nottingham St Mary 1 3.59x
St Marylebone London 1 2.34x
Wandsworth 1 12.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 4
Charles 3
George 3
Richard 3
Adam 2
Alfred 2
David 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Lewis 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Edmund 1
Emil 1
Evan 1
Frank 1
Gottfraer 1
Horatio 1
John 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Walter 1
Willm.Jas. 1

FAQ

Reis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Reis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 82 people were recorded with the Reis surname. That placed it at #21,957 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Reis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 747 in 2016. That gives Reis a modern rank of #7,318.

What does the Reis surname mean?

A Portuguese and Sephardic Jewish occupational surname referring to a captain, chief, or leader.

What does the Reis map show?

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