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Reid Family History

Reid Surname Meaning

Scottish: variant of Reed of which Reid is the common modern Scots spelling.

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


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Where is the Reid family from?

You can see how Reid families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Reid family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Reid families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 1,653 Reid families living in Lancashire. This was about 21% of all the recorded Reid's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Reid families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Reid 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 Reid 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 Reid. 11% of Reid men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Reid women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Reid were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Reid | 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
    11%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Retired
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Reid family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 973,000 census records available for the last name Reid. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Reid census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Reid

Passenger Lists

There are 196,000 immigration records available for the last name Reid. 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 Reid immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 133,000 military records available for the last name Reid. For the veterans among your Reid ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Reid military records

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