Reys Surname History

Origins Available:
France
Germany

From the historical and enchanting region of France emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Reys family. Originally, the French people were known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted in France is extremely interesting. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Often they adopted names that were derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name Reys is a nickname type of surname for a person of regal bearing or a person who played a king in a local festival. Looking back further, we find the name Reys was derived from the Old French word "roy," meaning "king."

Early Origins of the Reys family

The surname Reys was first found in Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), an administrative and historical region of east-central France, where the family has held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Reys family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reys research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1098, 1306, 1330, 1470, 1533, 1570, 1583, 1645, 1726 and 1803 are included under the topic Early Reys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reys Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ray, Rays, Raie, Raies, Raye, Rayes, Rée, Rées, Rait, Rey, Reys, Rei, Reis, Duray, Leray, De Laray, Laray, du Ray, de Ray, Delurey and many more.

Early Notables of the Reys family

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Reys Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reys migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Reys Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Agnes Reys, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 1
Johannes Reys, who settled in Philadelphia in 1751
Christian Reys, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 1

Reys Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Louis Reys, aged 29, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1858 1

Citations +

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)