Clan Rising

Reid

also Read, Reade

The red one, descriptive Scots surname, dense in the Lothians and the Borders.

Origin
Lothian & Edinburgh, Scotland
Motto
Virtutis gloria merces
Famous bearer
Thomas Reid (1710–1796), philosopher, founder of the Scottish School of Common Sense
Register
Scottish family
Territory of Reid

CoreHistoric reach

The seat of Reid

Seat vacant

Chief

No one leads the Reid community yet. When the movement opens, you can stand for its leadership, or help elect whoever does.

Current mission

No shared goal set yet. Once Reid has leadership, it sets the public focus: a restoration, a gathering, a real-world project that helps its own.

The Reid clan is being rebuilt. Join the waiting list for the movement today, and you help decide who leads it and what it does.

Help rebuild the Reid clan →

Motto

Virtutis gloria merces

“Glory is the reward of valour”

What does the Reid name mean?

Descriptive, the red one. Scots 'reid' from Old English read, applied as a personal byname to a man of red hair or red complexion. The English equivalent is Read or Reade; the Welsh is Goch, the Gaelic Ruadh. Where most Scottish patronymics generated multiple variants, Reid stayed compact, the descriptive 'reid' was so embedded in everyday Scots that the surname needed no further compression.

The history of Reid

Reid is among the most common Scots surnames, sitting alongside Brown ('brown'), Black ('black') and the smaller Gray ('grey') in the family of descriptive personal-byname surnames that froze into hereditary use at the same medieval moment as the patronymics.

Thomas Reid (1710–1796) of Strachan in Kincardineshire was the founding figure of the Scottish School of Common Sense Philosophy, the philosophical movement that, alongside David Hume, defined the Scottish Enlightenment in moral and epistemological thought, and that profoundly shaped American academic philosophy through Princeton in the 18th and 19th centuries.

John Reid, 1st Baron Reid of Cardowan (b. 1947), former Secretary of State for Defence and for the Home Department, is among the modern Scottish-Reid bearers; the international diaspora of the name is large and concentrated, like most Scottish surnames, in the post-Clearances destinations of North America and Australasia.

Champions of the Reid name

The bearers whose lives are inseparable from this surname. Each has their own page, biography, achievements, geography, connection to the family.

Historic Places, Rebuilt

Explore the streets and seats the Reid name knew, rebuilt with AI as they stood in history.

Or recreate your own castle →

Historic Places, Rebuilt · New

Explore Edinburgh in 1511Enter →

The castle on its crag, St Giles' crown spire, and the closes tumbling to the Cowgate.

Historic Places, Rebuilt · New

Explore St Andrews in 1450Enter →

Scotland's ecclesiastical capital at its peak, the great cathedral, the bishop's castle on the sea, and the new university.

Castles the Reid held

Strongholds this name held for a decade or more, look one up, or rebuild it to explore.

  • Affleck Castle

    A family of Reids held Affleck from the mid-17th century until 1746, when they forfeited it for their Jacobite activities.

  • Barra Castle

    Held by the Reid family of Aberdeen from around 1630 until 1754.

The castles of the homeland

The great strongholds of the homeland, look one up, see what it looked like in its prime, and recreate it to explore.

Edinburgh Castle, ScotlandEdinburgh CastleRestored · prime 1520Stirling Castle, ScotlandStirling CastleRestored · prime 1542Glamis Castle, ScotlandGlamis CastleStill standing · prime 1900

All castles in Scotland → · Strongest castles in Scotland → · Castles of Europe

Play As Your Clan

Explore history as a ReidStart your story →

Pick any year from 500 to 1945 and any place on earth, the Reid country, or a shore no Reid ever reached. The chronicler sets the scene; the deeds are yours.

Notable bearers of the Reid name

  • Thomas Reid (1710–1796), philosopher, founder of the Scottish School of Common Sense
  • Sir George Reid (1841–1913), fourth Prime Minister of Australia
  • Beryl Reid (1919–1996), actress

Frequently asked

What does the surname Reid mean?

Descriptive, the red one. Scots 'reid' from Old English read, applied as a personal byname to a man of red hair or red complexion. The English equivalent is Read or Reade; the Welsh is Goch, the Gaelic Ruadh. Where most Scottish patronymics generated multiple variants, Reid stayed compact, the descriptive 'reid' was so embedded in everyday Scots that the surname needed no further compression. Reid is among the most common Scots surnames, sitting alongside Brown ('brown'), Black ('black') and the smaller Gray ('grey') in the family of descriptive personal-byname surnames that froze into hereditary use at the same medieval moment as the patronymics.

Where does the Reid family come from?

The Reid family is rooted in Lothian & Edinburgh and The Borders, in Scotland. Within that, the name was particularly concentrated in Edinburgh and The Borders. The atlas page for the name records the historical territory it has held over the centuries.

Where did the Reid family historically hold territory?

At its greatest historical extent, the Reid name has been concentrated in Midlothian, East Lothian, Fife, Aberdeen, Stirling and Lanarkshire. The atlas page distinguishes the core territory of the name from this wider historical reach with hatched silhouettes on the map.

Is Reid Scottish or Irish?

Reid is a Scottish surname; its home on this atlas is Scotland, where the historical territory and family record of the name are concentrated. The same or similar spellings can surface in Irish records, but the lineage documented on this page is the Scottish one.

How old is the Reid surname?

Reid is among the most common Scots surnames, sitting alongside Brown ('brown'), Black ('black') and the smaller Gray ('grey') in the family of descriptive personal-byname surnames that froze into hereditary use at the same medieval moment as the patronymics. European hereditary surnames crystallised broadly between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the Reid name took its modern form within that long settlement.

What is the Reid family known for?

The red one, descriptive Scots surname, dense in the Lothians and the Borders. Reid is among the most common Scots surnames, sitting alongside Brown ('brown'), Black ('black') and the smaller Gray ('grey') in the family of descriptive personal-byname surnames that froze into hereditary use at the same medieval moment as the patronymics.

What is the Reid motto?

The motto of the Reid family is "Virtutis gloria merces", which translates as "Glory is the reward of valour". Family mottoes were registered with the chief of the name and carried on the heraldic arms and battle-banners.

What does "Virtutis gloria merces" mean in English?

"Virtutis gloria merces" is the motto of the Reid family. In English it means "Glory is the reward of valour". The phrase is typically rendered in Latin, though some Highland families carry their motto in Gaelic and some Norman lines in Old French.

Is there a Reid family crest or coat of arms?

There is no single coat of arms that belongs to everyone named Reid. Heraldic arms were granted to individuals and descend through specific documented lines, so a "family crest" matched to a surname alone is decorative rather than genealogical. In Scots heraldry the convention is different again: clansfolk wear the chief's crest inside a strap-and-buckle badge, the crest stays the chief's property, worn in allegiance rather than owned. The motto associated with the principal line is "Virtutis gloria merces".

Who is the most famous Reid?

The best-known bearer of the Reid name is Thomas Reid (1710–1796), philosopher, founder of the Scottish School of Common Sense. Other prominent figures of the family include Sir George Reid (1841–1913), fourth Prime Minister of Australia and Beryl Reid (1919–1996), actress.

Who are some famous Reids?

Notable bearers of the Reid name include Thomas Reid (1710–1796), philosopher, founder of the Scottish School of Common Sense, Sir George Reid (1841–1913), fourth Prime Minister of Australia and Beryl Reid (1919–1996), actress. Each is profiled on the family page, with cross-links to the geography, stories, and historical events tied to their life.

Is Read the same family as Reid?

Yes. Read is a historical spelling variant of the Reid name. The two share the same lineage and family affiliation; different parishes, clerks and migration registrars recorded the same name in slightly different forms, and the variant spellings sit on the same family tree.

Is Reade the same family as Reid?

Yes. Reade is a historical spelling variant of the Reid name. The two share the same lineage and family affiliation; different parishes, clerks and migration registrars recorded the same name in slightly different forms, and the variant spellings sit on the same family tree.

Where is the Reid surname found today?

Scotland is the primary historical home of the Reid surname. In the modern era, the name is also borne across the wider diaspora, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where families carry the line of descent from the same Scotland origin recorded on this page.

What does the Clan Rising page for the Reid family cover?

The Clan Rising page for the Reid family covers the meaning of the surname, the historical geography of the name, the family motto, famous bearers of the name and the seat of the head of the family. Each section is linked to the underlying atlas of Scotland so the name can be read in the geography that shaped it.

Who is the head of the Reid family today?

The seat for the head of the Reid family is currently vacant on this register. Clan Rising is rebuilding the chief and family structure for the modern era, and the family page allows readers to claim the seat or pledge to the name.

Neighbouring clans