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Reef Family History

Reef Name Meaning

North German: either a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of rope from Middle Low German reep ‘rope’ or a nickname for a feeble or very thin person from Middle Low German ref rif ‘body skeleton’. This surname is very rare in Germany. English: variant of Reeve .

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


Similar surnames: Reff, Reeh, Reep, Remer, Helf, Reder, Greif, Brief, Reek, Rey

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Reef family from?

You can see how Reef families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Reef family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Reef families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 11 Reef families living in London. This was about 26% of all the recorded Reef's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Reef families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Reef surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Reef ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Reef. 79% of Reef women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Reef | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Housewife
    22%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Reef family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Reef. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Reef census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Reef

Passenger Lists

There are 739 immigration records available for the last name Reef. 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 Reef immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Reef. For the veterans among your Reef ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Reef military records

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What is the average Reef lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Reef life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Reef in 1944 was 23, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Reef

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