Reif
A surname with more than one likely origin, including a German word for a ring or hoop and, in some cases, a form related to Rhine-area or Scots terms for plunder.
The #9,611 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 91,318 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In German, Reif is most naturally connected with the old word for a hoop, ring, or band, the same root seen in words for barrel hoops and similar fittings. That makes it a likely nickname or occupational surname for someone who made or used hoops, or who was associated with something ring-shaped. In some Scots and Scottish historical material, a similar-looking word appears in the phrase reif and felonie, meaning theft or robbery, but that is a common noun rather than a clear surname origin; it may also reflect confusion with other names or forms.
History
Reif is best established as a German surname, and it remains fairly common in German-speaking and German-descended populations. Because the form is short and old, it may also overlap with unrelated surnames in other languages or with spellings that were later standardized differently. The historical excerpts supplied here do not provide a direct dictionary entry for this exact surname, so the origin should be treated cautiously.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The old German root behind Reif is the same kind of word that could refer to a barrel hoop as well as a ring.
From the historical record
“■61a. Uarried-Bdde nbK); ReiF. ElmlianL c< ltfi6. - RicWd taj i£f|;ard and Eedy”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances