Surname Reinolds - Meaning and Origin
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Reinolds: What does the surname Reinolds mean?
The last name Reynolds is of English or Scottish origin. The meaning of the name is "son of Ragnall". Ragnall is a Norse personal name made up of two Old Norse elements; "regin," meaning advise or counsel, and "valdr," meaning ruler or ruler.
Reynolds is thought to have originated in the regions of Britain settled by the Norse invaders, otherwise known as the Danelaw. It has been a popular surname throughout the centuries in the British Isles, and is now also derived from other languages, such as French and German. The spelling variants include Reynold, Reinald, Reinault, Rainolds, as well as the Irish surname MacRaghnall.
In the United States, Reynold is a relatively common surname. It was brought to the US by families who originally came from Britain during the colonial period. It appears in many records during the 19th century. Today, it is especially common in the Southern states, where before the Civil War, many Southerners immigrated from England, Ireland and Scotland.
The Reynolds surname has many notable holders, including the British novelist, poet and playwright, George Osborne Reynolds (1814-1879). He wrote many popular works, including "The Mysteries of London" (1844-1845) and "The Faery Queen" (1854-1855). Other notable bearers of this surname include actor Ryan Reynolds, former South African president, C. R. Reynolds and Fredrick A. Reynolds, a 19th century mayor of Chicago, Illinois.
Order DNA origin analysisReinolds: Where does the name Reinolds come from?
The last name Reynolds is a very common name today, with people all around the world bearing it. It is one of the most common surnames in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. With such a wide reach, it is not hard to find people with the last name Reynolds living almost everywhere.
Reynolds is an English-language surname, developed in the Middle Ages, which was derived from the Norman surname Reinold. The Normans were descended from the Viking invasions of Britain several centuries earlier. The Reynolds family was prominent in medieval England, where they began as a Norman noble family in Somerset. The name originally became common when the surnames system was developed. Early recordings of the surname include Richard Reynaud in 1145, and Robert de Reinold in 1296 in the Calendar for Patent Rolls.
The most famous Reynolds family is likely that of the legendary actor Burt Reynolds, who popularized the surname in the United States in the 1960s. Reynolds was a very common name in the town of Waycross, Georgia where he was born, due to Welsh and English settlers present in the area in the 18th and 19th centuries. People named Reynolds have held public office in the US, including appearing in Congress. There are also prominent Reynold families in Europe; Spanish author Leonor Reynold was born in Galicia in the late 19th century.
In summary, the last name Reynolds is very common today due to its English-Norman roots and its fame in the United States. It can be found throughout the western world, and has been present for centuries.
Variations of the surname Reinolds
The surname Reinolds can be spelled many different ways, including: Reinold, Reinolds, Reynold, Reynolds, Rennold, Rennolds, Reynalds, Reinhold, Reinholts, Reinalds, Renault, Renall, Rinalds, and Renolds.
In early records, the name appears as Rainot and Rainauld, with Rainguard being an umbrella name for the many Rain-based names of the period. The variations of Reinolds can be divided into three distinct etymologies.
The first is from an Old Germanic language, derived from the name Rainold, meaning "decision-maker." The second is from the Olde French, Reynault, "brilliant decision-maker" Additionally, many families in the United States have changed the spelling to Reinalds, pronounced with a long "A" as opposed to the Olde German pronounciation with a short "E".
The third origin is English. The name could have been derived from any of the four Anglo-Saxon words: regen, meaning "king," or rinning, meaning "strong-willed," raigne, meaning "ruler," or reyne, meaning "wise." The resulting name could have been spelled Reinald, Reynold, Reinhold, or Reynalds.
No matter how it was spelled, all variations of the surname Reinolds share the same meaning: a leader, a wise ruler, or a decision-maker.
Famous people with the name Reinolds
- Ryan Reynolds: Canadian actor best known for his roles in such movies as Deadpool, Buried, Blade III, Green Lantern, and Just Friends.
- Burt Reynolds: American actor, director, and producer best known for his roles in Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, The Cannonball Run, Boogie Nights, and Semi-Tough.
- Alan Reynolds: American economist and political commentator, and author of books like The Age of Injury and Income and Wealth.
- Kevin Reynolds: American film director, best known for his work on Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Waterworld, The Count of Monte Cristo, Tristan and Isolde and Rapa Nui.
- Malcolm Reynolds: American astronaut and current commander of the International Space Station.
- Bruce Reynolds: Canadian-born British master criminal, best known for masterminding the Great Train Robbery of 1963.
- Craig Reynolds: American computer scientist, best known for creating the flocking algorithm for computer simulations.
- Pegi Young: American singer-songwriter and philanthropist, best known for her work with the Bridge School.
- Halil Jean “HJ” Reynolds: American singer, best known for her work with the Motown group The Flirtations.
- Nancy Reinolds: American author, most notably writing about checking account fraud victims and how to protect oneself from it.