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Rees Family History

Rees Name Meaning

Welsh: variant spelling of Reese. German: habitational name from a place in the Rhineland called Rees. German: short form of Andreas.

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


Similar surnames: Reese, Drees, Reis, Hees, Dees, Ries, Reek, Remes, Kees, Lees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Rees family from?

You can see how Rees families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rees family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rees families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1840 there were 67 Rees families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 29% of all the recorded Rees's in the USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Rees families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rees surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Rees ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the US named Rees. 15% of Rees men worked as a Farmer and 11% of Rees women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rees were Truck Driver and Clerk.

View Census data for Rees | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations in 1940

  • Farmer
    15%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations in 1940

  • Teacher
    11%
  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Housewife
    8%
  • Clerk
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Rees family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 397,000 census records available for the last name Rees. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rees census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Rees

Passenger Lists

There are 51,000 immigration records available for the last name Rees. 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 Rees immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 36,000 military records available for the last name Rees. For the veterans among your Rees ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rees military records

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

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What is the average Rees lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Rees life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Rees in 1944 was 27, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rees

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