Contents [hide]

Reynolds History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Reynolds History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Many variations of the name Reynolds have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Raghnaill, which means son of Raghnal. Raghnal is a personal name equivalent to Randal or Reginald.

Early Origins of the Reynolds family

The surname Reynolds was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Reynolds family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reynolds research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1625, 1657, 1717 and 1725 are included under the topic Early Reynolds History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reynolds Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of the surname Reynolds can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include McRannell, McReynolds, Reynolds, Grannell, Magranill, MacGrannell, MacRaghnald, MacRanel, McRanel, MacRannal, MacRannel, MacRanell, MacRanall and many more.

Early Notables of the Reynolds family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

James Reynolds, Chief of the Clann whose diaries contributed greatly to Irish history
Sir John Reynolds (1625-1657), a soldier in the English Civil War

Reynolds World Ranking

In the United States, the name Reynolds is the 112^nd most popular surname with an estimated 193,986 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Reynolds is ranked the 340^th most popular surname with an estimated 13,395 people with that name. 2 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Reynolds is the 387^th popular surname with an estimated 121 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Reynolds as 122^nd with 22,036 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Reynolds as 174^th with 3,094 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Reynolds as 404^th with 16,107 people. 6

Reynolds migration to the United States +

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Reynolds family came to North America quite early:

Reynolds Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Christopher Reynolds, who settled in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "John & Francis"
Robert Reynolds, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet
Robert Reynolds, who settled in Salem in 1630 with Mary and his four children
Mrs. Mary Reynolds who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 7
Mr. Nathaniel Reynolds who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Reynolds Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Darby Reynolds, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 8
Edward Reynolds, a convict sent to Annapolis, Maryland in 1719
Arnold Reynolds, who arrived in Maryland in 1740 8

Reynolds Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Agnes Reynolds, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1812 8
Allen Reynolds, aged 45, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 8
David Reynolds, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1830 8
Darius Leverest Reynolds, who landed in Louisiana in 1833 8
Catherine Reynolds, aged 11, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Reynolds Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Cyril Revell Reynolds, who landed in Colorado in 1901 8

Reynolds migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Reynolds Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Benjamin Reynolds, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1761
Mr. James Reynolds U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelbourne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 199 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York, USA 9
Mr. Jesse Reynolds U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 9
Mr. Joshua Reynolds U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 9
Mr. Pine Reynolds U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Reynolds Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Benjamin, Caleb, and Thomas Reynolds were among the United Empire Loyalists who, who settled in Ontario, Canada following the American War of Independence
Christopher Reynolds, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1830
Robert Reynolds, aged 36, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
Margaret Reynolds, aged 35, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833
Alice Dunphy Reynolds, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1835
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Reynolds migration to Australia +

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

Reynolds Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. Richard Reynolds, Cornish settler convicted in Bodmin, Cornwall, UK on 6th August 1787, sentenced for 7 years for burglary, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" on 19th January 1790 to New South Wales, Australia 10

Reynolds Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Esther Reynolds, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. John Reynolds, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. John Reynolds, British convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Frances Reynolds, (b. 1785), aged 35, Irish servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for felony, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. Maurice Reynolds, (b. 1798), aged 22, Irish labourer who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Reynolds migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Reynolds Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Jane Reynolds, aged 22, a dressmaker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Roxburgh" in 1840 15
Mr. Reynolds, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Jane" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 16
George Reynolds, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Jane" in 1841 17
Edward Reynolds, aged 32, a cabinet maker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "George Fyfe" in 1842
Harriet Reynolds, aged 28, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "George Fyfe" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Reynolds (post 1700) +

Frank James Reynolds (1923-1983), American television journalist for CBS and ABC News, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds (1936-2018), American Emmy Award, Golden Globe and People's Choice Award winning actor, director and voice artist, probably best known for his roles in the Smokey and the Bandit series, The Longest Yard and White Lightning
Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA (1723-1792), English portrait painter from Plympton, Devon, first President of the Royal Academy
Richard Joshua "R. J." Reynolds (1850-1918), American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
Ryan Rodney Reynolds (b. 1976), Canadian Golden Globe Award nominated actor, film producer and screenwriter, best known for playing the Marvel character Deadpool, People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2010, co-owner of the Welsh football club Wrexham A.F.C.
Sheldon Maurice Reynolds (1959-2023), American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, a member of bands Sun, The Commodores and Earth, Wind & Fire
William de Clerq Reynolds (1931-2022), American actor, best known for his role as Special Agent Tom Colby in the 1960s television series The F.B.I
Mike Reynolds (1929-2022), American voice actor and writer, known as a voice actor on the original Power Rangers
Richard Clay Reynolds (1949-2022), American novelist, essayist, book critic and English professor from Quanah, Texas
Mr. Daniel Coulter Reynolds (b. 1987), born in Las Vegas, Nevada, known as "Dan" American singer, song writer and producer, lead singer for Imagine Dragons
... (Another 301 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Reynolds family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Jessey T Reynolds (1948-1985), American Staff Sergeant from Jamestown, Tennessee, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 18

Fraterville mine

Mr. Oscar Reynolds (d. 1902), "Charles", American coal miner at Fraterville mine in Tennessee, on the 19th May 1902 when an explosion collapsed the mine; he died 19
Mr. William Reynolds (d. 1902), American coal miner at Fraterville mine in Tennessee, on the 19th May 1902 when an explosion collapsed the mine; he died 19
Mr. J. Frank Reynolds (d. 1902), American coal miner at Fraterville mine in Tennessee, on the 19th May 1902 when an explosion collapsed the mine; he died 19
Mr. Andrew J. Reynolds (d. 1902), American coal miner at Fraterville mine in Tennessee, on the 19th May 1902 when an explosion collapsed the mine; he died 19

HMS Hood

Mr. John A Reynolds (b. 1920), English Stoker 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from Richmond, Surrey, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 20

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. S Reynolds, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 21
Mr. Roy Reynolds, British Boy 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 21
Mr. Jack Reynolds, British Sergeant, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking, also sailed aboard the HMS Stronghold 21
Mr. Clifford Benjamin Reynolds (1920-1942), Welsh Able Seaman from Wales, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking, was listed as missing and presumed killed during the evacuation of Singapore 1942 21

HMS Repulse

Mr. Albert Reynolds, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 22

HMS Royal Oak

Donald Alexander Reynolds (1920-1939), British Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 23

Prince of Wales colliery

Mr. John Reynolds (b. 1856), Welsh coal miner who was working at the Prince of Wales Colliery in Abercarn, Wales on the 11th September 1878 when there was a coal mine explosion; he died 24

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Patrick Reynolds, English Fireman from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 25

RMS Titanic

Mr. Harold J. Reynolds (d. 1912), aged 21, English Third Class passenger from London who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Montmagny 26

SS Atlantic

Richard Reynolds, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking
Richard Reynolds, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking

USS Arizona

Mr. Earl Arthur Reynolds, American Seaman Second Class from Colorado, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 27
Mr. Jack Franklyn Reynolds, American Seaman First Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 27

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
News paper article Fraterville Mine Disaster retrieved on 6th August 2021. (Retrieved from http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/disasters/fraterville.htm).
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Entombed in flood and flame (retrieved 3rd August 2021). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20120603025705/http://www.crosskeys.me.uk/history/prince.htm
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html