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I read some where that surname Reeve was a Male, English name meaning Steward and that the variant Reeves meant son of Reeve but I have no clue if this is accurate as I think that came from a "Baby name" site. I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this name & offer examples of its usuage as a surnname (Christopher Reeve) and as a first name (for either gender).
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The word Reeve is still in use today :-)
These are the (relevant) definitions from www.dictionary.com :
♦ Any of various minor officers of parishes or other local authorities.
♦ A bailiff or steward of a manor in the later medieval period.
♦ A high officer of local administration appointed by the Anglo-Saxon kings.
[Middle English, from Old English gerfa.]
It's also the "riff" in sheriff, from "shire reeve".
:-)
These are the (relevant) definitions from www.dictionary.com :
♦ Any of various minor officers of parishes or other local authorities.
♦ A bailiff or steward of a manor in the later medieval period.
♦ A high officer of local administration appointed by the Anglo-Saxon kings.
[Middle English, from Old English gerfa.]
It's also the "riff" in sheriff, from "shire reeve".
:-)
This message was edited 11/16/2004, 10:26 PM
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Hmm . . .
I have the utmost respect for the Oxford names books, but their definition of Reeves looks extremely unlikely, especially given that just about every other English surname with an 's' at the end has it there to mean "son of".
Hmmm . . .
I have the utmost respect for the Oxford names books, but their definition of Reeves looks extremely unlikely, especially given that just about every other English surname with an 's' at the end has it there to mean "son of".
Hmmm . . .
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