Reis
A surname with several possible roots, most often linked to a chief, ruler, or steward title in Romance and related languages.
The #2,953 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,380 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Reis can be an independent surname in several traditions, so its origin is not single or certain. In the Romance world it is often connected with words for “king” or “ruler” (Portuguese and Spanish rei/rey, plural reis/reyes), while in some French and English records similar forms can reflect Old French words meaning “Norseman” or “northman.” In German contexts, Reis may also appear as a short form or variant linked to other surnames, so the same spelling can have different histories in different families.
History
The spelling appears across Europe and in immigrant records, which is why the surname can reflect more than one background. In French medieval sources, related forms such as Norreis meant “Norseman,” while in Iberian and Portuguese usage Reis is strongly associated with royal or title-based vocabulary. Because the same spelling traveled widely, modern bearers may not share a single ancestral origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Portuguese, dos Reis literally means “of the kings,” and it is especially common as a religious surname tied to the Epiphany, the Feast of the Kings.
From the historical record
“NORREYS ( A. - Fr. -Teut. ) Northman; Northerner [O.Fr. Noreis, Noreys, Nor^- " reis, Nor(r)ois, Northman, Northerner; ATor- -I- m, Lat. -gnjH] ■ ■' Hugh le Norreis. — Charter Rolls, A.D. iigg.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)