Reaves Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Reaves last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Reaves last name
Meaning of the Reaves last name: reeve / bailiff. Reaves is an English surname, a spelling of Reeves, from reeve, a bailiff or manor officer. The last name is Midland and southern English beside Reeves. Leicestershire hearth taxes already list Reaves beside Reeves bailiffs, so the Reaves surname stayed easy to spot in later indexes.
Arms associated with the Reaves name
Coats of arms associated with the Reaves surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Reaves family history
This is only a glimpse of the Reaves story. The full Reaves history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Reaves coat of arms. Get the full Reaves report.
Reaves name FAQ
What does the Reaves name mean?
Reeve / bailiff. Common variants include Reeves, Reavis.
Where does the Reaves surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Reaves coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Reaves coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).