Reed Family History

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Reed Name Meaning

English: variant spelling of Read 1.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Reede, Reeds, Redd, Red, Ree, Read, Reid, Need, Rees, Reek

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Reed Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Reed name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Reed. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    51%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    18%

  • Germanic Europe

    8%

  • Cameroon, Congo, & Southern Bantu Peoples

    3%

  • Norway

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Reed Family Origin

Where is the Reed family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Reed families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Reed family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Reed families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 773 Reed families living in New York. This was about 15% of all the recorded Reed's in the USA. New York had the highest population of Reed families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Reed surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Reed

    Reed Family Occupations

    What did your Reed ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, Farmer, Laborer and Keeping House were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Reed. The most common Reed occupation in the USA was Farmer. 37% of Reed's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Reed family was Farm Laborer.

    View Census data for Reed | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      37%

    • Laborer

      9%

    • Keeping House

      6%

    • Farm Laborer

      3%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Reed ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Reed Historical Records

    What Reed family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 1 million census records available for the last name Reed. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Reed census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Reed

    Passenger List

    There are 114,000 immigration records available for the last name Reed. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

    View all Reed immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 286,000 military records available for the last name Reed. For the veterans among your Reed ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Reed military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Reed family history.

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    Reed Life Expectancy

    What is the average Reed lifespan?

    Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Reed life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Reed in 1940 was 40, and 72 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Reed

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Reed ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Reed Family Ancestors

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