Reid
The origin of the surname Reid
Reid is the Scots form of “red,” for a red-haired person.
What kind of surname is Reid?
As a descriptive surname (or nickname name), the surname Reid arose from a personal characteristic — a physical trait, a quality of temperament, or a distinguishing feature of its first bearer. Communities have always coined nicknames, and in the age before fixed surnames these vivid, affectionate or teasing labels — referring to hair colour, stature, complexion or character — frequently became hereditary. Descriptive surnames give an unusually human glimpse of an ancestor, hinting at how they looked or how they were regarded by the people around them.
How Scottish surnames work
Scottish surnames come from several roots: Gaelic patronymics using “Mac” (“son of”), Lowland and Border names, Norse-influenced names in the isles, and the famous clan system, in which many unrelated families adopted a chief's surname. Locational and occupational names appear too. As with Irish names, anglicisation reshaped many spellings over the centuries.
Frequently asked questions
What does the surname Reid mean?
The surname Reid means Red-haired. Reid is the Scots form of “red,” for a red-haired person.
Where does the surname Reid come from?
Reid is a surname of Scottish origin.
What kind of surname is Reid?
Reid is a descriptive surname, originally describing a physical or personal characteristic.
How common is the surname Reid in the United States?
Reid is the 263rd most common surname in the United States (2010 U.S. Census), recorded for about 104,007 people.