Reed
Reed is a unisex name of English origin meaning “Red-haired, or one who lives by reeds.” It ranked #419 in the United States in 2025. From an Old English surname referring to either a red-haired person or someone living near a reed bed.
how do you pronounce Reed?
REED
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Reed mean?
The name Reed means “Red-haired, or one who lives by reeds.” It comes from the English language tradition.
From an Old English surname referring to either a red-haired person or someone living near a reed bed. It has a clean, nature-adjacent feel and is gaining traction as a minimalist given name.
where does the name Reed come from?
Wiktionary gives several distinct origins for Reed as an English and Scottish surname: from the adjective red (a red-haired person), from an Old English word meaning to clear out (a cleared plot of land), and from English place names such as Reed, Lancashire, itself from a word for roe deer, or Rede, Suffolk. The source does not mention the reed plant or a reed bed at all, so the 'lives by reeds' gloss given elsewhere is not supported by anything found here.
the history of Reed
The source treats Reed only as a surname with these several origins; it says nothing about its more recent history as a first name.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #419 |
| 2024 | #423 |
| 2023 | #431 |
| 2022 | #416 |
| 2021 | #415 |
| 2020 | #450 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Reed?
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Reed?
- Lou Reed
- Rex Reed
what names are similar to Reed?
what names go well with Reed?
Sibling names that share Reed's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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