Reeves Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Reeves last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Reeves last name
Meaning of the Reeves last name: steward, reeve. Reeves was a name for a reeve, the man who ran a manor for its lord. The reeve was often a villager chosen by his neighbours, with real authority over the farming year. A curious detail: the shire reeve, who kept order across a county, gave English the word "sheriff". The name is common in the south and the Midlands of England, and the -s may mean "son of the reeve".
Arms associated with the Reeves name
A curious English detail: younger sons added small marks to their father's arms, so brothers named Reeves could each carry a slightly different shield.
Get your full Reeves family history
This is only a glimpse of the Reeves story. The full Reeves history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Reeves coat of arms. Get the full Reeves report.
Reeves name FAQ
What does the Reeves name mean?
Steward, reeve. Common variants include Reeve, Reaves, Grieve.
Where does the Reeves surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Reeves coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Reeves coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.