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Reese Family History

Reese Surname Meaning

Welsh: variant of Rice. North German and Dutch (De Reese): nickname for a very big man from Middle Low German Middle Dutch rese ‘giant'.

German: habitational name from any of the places called Rees or Reese in Rhineland and Lower Saxony.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Reese family from?

You can see how Reese families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Reese family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Reese families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 88 Reese families living in Montgomeryshire. This was about 13% of all the recorded Reese's in United Kingdom. Montgomeryshire had the highest population of Reese families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Reese surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Reese ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Reese. 18% of Reese men worked as a General Labourer and 83% of Reese women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Reese were Farm Carter and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Reese | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    18%
  • Incapacitated
    14%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Farm Carter
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    83%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housekeeper
    3%

What Reese family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 263,000 census records available for the last name Reese. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Reese census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Reese

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Reese. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Reese immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 65,000 military records available for the last name Reese. For the veterans among your Reese ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Reese military records

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