Reding History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Reding comes from when the family resided in the village of Reading found in the county of Berkshire. 1 2 3 The surname Reding is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the surname was originally derived from the Old English word rydding which simply refers to an area that has been cleared. 4

"This place is unquestionably of great antiquity, but whether it owes its foundation to the Romans or to the Saxons is a matter involved in great doubt. Its name rather tends to strengthen the supposition that its origin is to be attributed to the latter people, the term Reading being most probably derived from the Saxon words Rhea, 'a river' or 'an overflowing,' and Ing, 'a meadow.' "5

Early Origins of the Reding family

The surname Reding was first found in Sussex. Some of the earliest records of the surname were: Robert de Reading (died 1325), English historian and a monk of Westminster; and John of Reading (Latin: Johannes de Reading, Johannes Radingia) who died 1346. He was an English Franciscan theologian and scholastic philosopher and follower of Duns Scotus. He wrote a commentary on the Four Books of Sentences written by Peter Lombard around 1320, at the University of Oxford. In 1322, he accepted a teaching position at Avignon and it was there that he died.

Early rolls proved the widespread use of the the name with various spellings: Grifin del Ruding in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1246; Richard del Ryding at Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1227 and Sara de Redyngg in Colchester, Essex in 1311. 4

Early Norfolk records show Henry de Reding was Rector of Matlask, Norfolk in 1305; and John de Reding was Rector of Aldeburgh, Norfolk in 1328. 6

"The Readings, who have their principal home in this county, being also now found in Bucks and Oxfordshire, are probably the modern representatives of the Rædings, a Saxon Clan, that gave their name to their settlements in Derbyshire and in the eastern counties." 7

Early History of the Reding family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reding research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1588, 1621, 1645, 1667, 1674, 1677, 1686, 1692, 1714, 1744, 1747, 1748, 1757, 1758 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Reding History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reding Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Reding has been recorded under many different variations, including Reading, Reding, Redding, Reddin and others.

Early Notables of the Reding family

Distinguished members of the family include John Reading (1588-1667), English Calvinist and Biblical commentator; Sir James Reading; John Reading (c.1645-1692), English composer and organist, Choir master of Chichester Cathedral (1674-1677); and...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Reding Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reding Ranking

In the United States, the name Reding is the 10,714^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8

Reding migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Reding or a variant listed above:

Reding Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Reding, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 9
Richard Reding, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 9

Reding Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Reding, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 9
William Reding, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 9
Sarah Reding, who landed in Virginia in 1718 9
John Reding, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1764 9

Reding Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Walter C Reding, who landed in Mississippi in 1857 9
Miss Karolina Reding, aged 17, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "La Bourgogne" 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Reding (post 1700) +

Leo John Reding (1924-2015), American politician, member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (1975-1995)
John Randall Reding (1805-1892), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from New Hampshire at-large, 1841-45; Mayor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 1860 11
Charles Christophe Joseph Louis Reding de Biberegg, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 12

The Reding Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Dieu defende la droit
Motto Translation: God defends the right.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2096
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, August 27) Charles Reding. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html