Reed

Reed: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“red-haired; reed plant”
Origin
English
Say it
REED · 1 syllable
Used for
Boys (97% of all uses)

Usually from an English surname with more than one source: Old English rēad 'red' or Middle English/Old English reed 'reed'. As a given name, both associations are possible.

How popular is Reed?

2024230 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Reed in 2024766

2024 rank#420 boys

Peak year2014

Total US babies since 188036,191

Reed has been fairly stable over the last fifteen years.

Names like Reed

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • JackGod is gracious · English
  • Hudsonson of Hudd · English
  • Jacksonson of Jack · English
  • Cartercart driver · English
  • Wyattbrave in war · English
  • Maverickindependent person · English
  • Masonstoneworker · English
  • Graysonson of the steward · English

Reed questions

What does the name Reed mean?

Reed means "red-haired; reed plant". It comes from English. Usually from an English surname with more than one source: Old English rēad 'red' or Middle English/Old English reed 'reed'. As a given name, both associations are possible.

Is Reed a boy or girl name?

Reed is mainly a boy's name in US records (98% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Reed?

766 US babies were named Reed in 2024. Its peak year was 2014.

How do you pronounce Reed?

Reed is usually pronounced REED.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.