NameChart

Reed

Boy name

Reed has been given to 36,977 babies in the U.S. since 1881. It peaked in 2014 and currently ranks #419 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /ɹiːd/

As an English and Scottish surname, from the adjective red. * Also as an English surname, from Old English rēodan (“to clear out”), from Proto-West Germanic *reudan. * Also as an English surname, from several places in England, such as Reed, Lancashire (from Old English ra (“roe deer”) or Rede, Suffolk (see Rede). Compare Rider, Reader.

Origin: surnames

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

02745488221.096k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

36,977

Peak year

2014 (1,122 babies)

Rank in 2025

#419 for boys

First recorded

1881

10-year trend

▼ -28%

Gender split

2% girls / 98% boys

Famous people named Reed

John Carradine

American actor (1906-1988)

Mister Fantastic

Fictional character in Marvel Comics

Reed Hastings

American entrepreneur and education philanthropist

Reed Diamond

American actor

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Reed.

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