Read (surname)

ReadOrigin

Meaning| literally, the colour red - descriptive of ruddy complexion or red hair
Region of origin| England

Read is a surname of English origins.

## Derivation[edit]

The name is most likely to derive from rēad, the Anglo-Saxon (Old English) term for the colour red.[1] As a name it is believed to have originally been descriptive of person's complexion or hair being ruddy or red.[2] Old English had spelling variants depending on dialect, rēad was the form in West Saxon, rēid was the spelling characteristic of Northumbrian English. This variation is probably fossilised in the modern name variants, Read and Reid.[3] There is a settlement in Lancashire called Read, the name deriving from an Old English term meaning roe[deer]-headland, this may also account for some Read surnames.

## Historical use[edit]

As a personal name a grammatical form of Read, Reada, was used at the earliest stages of English history. The English town of Reading on the River Thames derives its name from a very early English tribal or community group called the Readingas. The Readingas appear to have been named after a chieftain called Reada, "The Red One," with the addition of the element -ingas meaning "the people of."[4][5] The first written use of the name is that of a Leofwine se Reade (Leofwine the Red), in the time of King Canute, dating to 1016–1020. However, this usage would have been as a descriptive by-name as inherited family surnames had not yet become established. A variant spelling is found in the person of Godwin le Rede, recorded in Norfolk in 1273, and a Thomas Read is recorded in 1327; their use of the name would have been as a heritable surname.[6][7] A Read family was prominent in early American history, George Read of Delaware was signatory to the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution.

## People[edit]

This name is attributed to these notable figures and is included in the names of the following articles:

### Politics and government[edit]

* Almon Heath Read (1790–1844), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
* George Read (Alberta politician), politician and party leader from Alberta
* George Read (Ontario politician), (1819 – after 1874), businessman and Member of Parliament from Ontario
* George Read (U.S. statesman) (1733–1798), lawyer, signer of Declaration of Independence and U.S. Senator from Delaware
* George Read, Jr. (1765–1836), lawyer, son of George Read, Sr., U.S. Attorney for the state of Delaware
* Jacob Read (1752–1816), lawyer and U.S. Senator from South Carolina
* John Erskine Read (1888–1973), lawyer and international jurist from Canada
* John Kingsley Read (1937–1985), politician from the United Kingdom
* John Milton Read (1842–1881), American politician
* John M. Read (1797–1874), lawyer and jurist from Pennsylvania
* Mel Read, politician and member of the E.U. Parliament from the United Kingdom
* Nathan Read (1759–1849), teacher and U.S. Representative from Massachusetts
* William T. Read (1878–1954), lawyer, President of the New Jersey Senate, and Treasurer of New Jersey

### Military and naval[edit]

* Abner Read (1821–1863), U.S. naval officer
* Albert Cushing Read (1887–1967), aviator and U.S. naval admiral
* Anketell M. Read (1884–1915), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
* Charles Read (1840–1890), U.S. and Confederate naval officer
* George C. Read, (1788–1862), United States Navy Rear-Admiral
* George E. Read, (1838–1910), sailor and American Medal of Honor recipient

### Entertainment[edit]

* Al Read (1909–1987), English comedian
* Anthony Read, English scriptwriter and editor
* Howard Read, British comedian
* James Read (born 1953), American television actor
* John D. Read, English singer-songwriter
* Mike Read (born 1947), British disc jockey and TV presenter

### Academics and literature[edit]

* Allen W. Read (1906–2002), American etymologist and lexicographer
* Benedict Read (1945–2016), English art historian
* Chopper Read (1954–2013), Australian criminal and author
* Conyers Read (1881–1959), American historian
* Daniel Read (1757–1836), American composer
* Elizabeth Bunnell Read (1832-1909), American journalist and suffragist
* Elizabeth Fisher Read (1872–1943), scholar and Women's Suffrage activist
* Florence M. Read, college president
* Gardner Read (1913–2005), American composer
* Sir Herbert Read (1893–1968), English poet
* Sir Hercules Read (1857–1929), British archaeologist and curator at the British Museum
* Jane Maria Read (1853–?), American poet, artist, teacher
* Leonard Read (1898–1983), American think tank founder
* Miss Read (1913–2012) the pen name of Dora Jessie Saint (from her mother's maiden name), British author
* Opie Read (1852–1939), American journalist and humorist
* Piers P. Read (born 1941), British novelist and non-fiction author
* Ronald K. Read (1887–1975) English developer of Quikscript, an alphabet
* Richard Read (born 1957), American journalist
* Thomas Buchanan Read (1822–1872), American poet and painter

### Business and industry[edit]

* Ian Read, executive for Pfizer
* Nic Read, executive in business, publishing and education

### Science and technology[edit]

* Carveth Read (1848–1931), British philosopher and logician
* Charles Read (1958–2015), British mathematician
* Herbert Harold Read (1889–1970), British geologist

### Sports[edit]

* Charles Read (squash player) (fl. 1920s), English
* Chris Read (born 1978), English cricketer
* Glen Read (born 1981), English cricketer
* Hopper Read (1910–2000), English cricketer
* Ken Read (born 1955), Canadian skier
* Kieran Read (born 1985), New Zealand rugby player
* Leilani Read (1973–1999), New Zealand and Samoan netball player
* Matt Read (born 1986), Canadian hockey player
* Maurice Read (1859–1929), English cricketer
* Phil Read (1939–2022), English motorcycle racer
* Reg Read (1886–1974), New Zealand cricketer
* Tommy Read, English footballer
* Trevor Read (born 1980), Canadian ice hockey defenceman
* Walter Read (1855–1907), English cricketer

### Other[edit]

* Blue Tulip Rose Read, English stalker
* Deborah Read (1708–1774), the wife of Benjamin Franklin
* Gabriel Read, Australian gold prospector
* John D. Read (1814–1864), American abolitionist
* Mary Read (c. 1690–1721), English pirate
* Nicholas Read (sculptor) (c. 1733–1787) English sculptor
* Read, the family surname of the titular character in Arthur

### Disambiguation[edit]

* Alexander Read (disambiguation)

## See also[edit]

* Red (nickname)
* Redd (given name)
* Redd (surname)
* Reade (name), given name and surname
* Rhead
* Reed (name)
* Reid (disambiguation)
* George Read II House, historic home of the son of George Read (signer).
* Read family of Delaware

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Eric Partridge (1966). Origins: An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-05077-4.
2. ^ Bardsley, Charles Wareing Endell (1901). A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. H. Frowde. ISBN 978-0-8063-0022-1.
3. ^ Reid is the more common form in Scotland and North East England, both areas deriving their language from Northumbrian English.
4. ^ Cameron,K., (1961) English Place-names, Batsford, p. 64.
5. ^ Transactions of the Historical Society of Berks. County, By Historical Society of Berks. County, Published by The Society, 1910: v.2 (1905-10) p. 164
6. ^ Bardsley, C.W.E. (1901) A dictionary of English and Welsh surnames: with special American instances. London.
7. ^ Reany, P.H. and Wilson, R.M. (1991) A Dictionary of English Surnames, Routledge. ISBN 0-415-05737-X

Surname list

This page lists people with the surname Read.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.

* v
* t
* e

Surnames derived from the color Red

English|

* Read
* Reed
* Reid

German/Yiddish|

* Roth
* Rothe
* Rother

Other Germanic|

* Rood
* Roode
* De Roode

Hungarian|

* Vörös

Romance|

* Rojas
* Rojo
* Rossi
* Rosso
* Roșu
* Russo

Slavic|

* Krasny

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