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Reiff Family History

Reiff Surname Meaning

South German and German: from Middle High German reif ‘(barrel) hoop ribbon cord’ hence a metonymic occupational name for a cooper or maker of ribbons, a rope maker, or a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or tavern with the sign of a hoop.

German: from the medieval personal name Riff, a short form of the ancient Germanic name Rīchfrit, composed of the elements rīc ‘power(ful)’ + frid ‘peace’.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name or nickname from German reif ‘mature’.

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


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Where is the Reiff family from?

You can see how Reiff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Reiff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Reiff families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 9 Reiff families living in London. This was about 47% of all the recorded Reiff's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Reiff families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Reiff 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 Reiff ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Reiff. 17% of Reiff men worked as a Farmer and 10% of Reiff women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Reiff were Manager and Housework.

View Census Data for Reiff | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    17%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Salesman
    7%
  • Manager
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    10%
  • Teacher
    8%
  • New Worker
    7%
  • Housework
    6%

What Reiff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 15,000 census records available for the last name Reiff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Reiff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Reiff

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Reiff. 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 Reiff immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Reiff. For the veterans among your Reiff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Reiff military records

You've only scratched the surface of Reiff family history

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What is the average Reiff lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Reiff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Reiff in 1941 was 49, and 83 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Reiff

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Reiff 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.

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