Regis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
England

The regal name Regis is derived from the Latin "regis," which is in turn derived from the word "rex" meaning "king." This may have been an occupational name for someone who worked in the royal household, or a nickname for the manager of a domain. 1

Alternatively the name could have been an occupational name for a local dignitary, having been a derivative of the Old French word "régir," meaning to rule. 1 The name is popularly seen as both a forename and surname.

Early Origins of the Regis family

The surname Regis was first found in Berry at Midi, where the name denoted a "governing, commissioner", as in Régissier and in the variant Regisser.

The Domesday Book of 1086 includes an entry for "Edricus Stirman Regis Edwardi, called also Rector navis, the commander of the sea and land forces of the Bishop of Worcester in the service of Edward the Confessor." 2

One of the most famous of the name was Jean-François Régis, SJ, also known as Saint John Francis Regis and Saint Regis (1597-1640), who was a French priest of the Society of Jesus, recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1737. He was born 31 January 1597, in Fontcouverte, Aude, in the Languedoc region of southern France. His father, Jean Régis, was ennobled as a result of service rendered during the Wars of the League.

Early History of the Regis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Regis research. Another 26 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1425, 1496, 1632, 1699, 1707, 1727, 1751 and 1757 are included under the topic Early Regis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Regis Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Regis, Régis, Regas and others.

Early Notables of the Regis family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Johannes Regis ( c. 1425 - c. 1496), a Netherlandish composer of the Renaissance. He was a well-known composer at the close of the 15th century, was a principal contributor to the Chigi Codex
Balthasar Regis (died 1757) was a Canon of Windsor, England from 1751 to 1757. He was born in the province of Dauphiné, and fled France with his father following persecution for his Reformed faith. He...

Regis Ranking

In the United States, the name Regis is the 10,312^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Regis is ranked the 2,097^th most popular surname with an estimated 3,009 people with that name. 4

Regis migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

John Regis, aged 31, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "De Grasse" 5

Regis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

E. Regis, aged 26, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Franklin" in 1841 5
Joseph Regis, aged 36, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1843 6
Betsy Regis, aged 1, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Northumberland" in 1847 5
David Regis, aged 3, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Northumberland" in 1847 5
Cath Regis, aged 59, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Saxonia" in 1860 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Regis migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Regis Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

A. H. Regis, from Glasgow who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Koombana" in 1909 7
G. Regis, from Toulon, ranch who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Ormonde" in 1928 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Regis (post 1700) +

Miles Regis (b. 1967), American-Trinidadian multi-media artist
Ed Regis (b. 1944), American author and educator
David Regis (b. 1968), French-American association football player
John A. Regis Jr., American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Puerto Rico, 2008 8
John Regis (b. 1966), English sprinter
Simone Régis, Brazilian fashion model and beauty queen
Sheryn Regis (b. 1980), Filipina pop singer and composer
Rogério Fidélis Régis (b. 1976), Brazilian football player
Robert Regis (b. 1967), English association football player
Louis-Marie Régis (1903-1988), Canadian philosopher, theologian, and scholar
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
National Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html