Reid
A Scottish form of Read, originally a nickname for a red-haired or ruddy person.
The #275 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,772 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Reid is the Scottish form of the surname Read, Reed, from the Old English word for "red." As a surname, it was likely first used as a nickname for someone with red hair, a ruddy complexion, or perhaps a noticeably flushed appearance. The spelling Reid reflects northern and Scots pronunciation rather than a different original meaning.
History
The name is especially common in Scotland, where Reid became the standard spelling of the northern form. English records also show the related spellings Read, Reed, and Rede, which often overlap in origin and pronunciation. Over time, Reid spread widely through Scotland and then to other English-speaking countries through migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older sources sometimes gloss Reid with examples of "red" in poetic or dialect use, showing how closely the surname stayed tied to color words.
From the historical record
“carry back] REID, the Scot, form of Read', q.v. Reid Kit— ColkeBie Sow, 171. ... hehadnathingonhisheidbotsyde [low-hanging] >«■(? yallow hair. — Lindsay, Hist, and Cron. Scotl. ('Ane Mirakill Sen"). Why rins thy stream, O Yarrow, Yarrow, reid [with blood] ?”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)