Reed

Did you know?

A few things about Reed you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Reed

Reed Diamond

American actor

Choose Reed and your child shares a first name with Reed Diamond, an American actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Reed, like who?” Reed Diamond's Wikipedia article is available in 26 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Reed Diamond on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,218 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Reed, 770 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Reed would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryReed first shows up in US birth records in 1881, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 144 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2014, when it reached #318.
• 🚀TrendReed has climbed 33 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #417. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedReed is most popular in Kentucky, where it ranks #144, followed by Delaware (#168) and West Virginia (#183). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
• 💬MeaningIn Old English, Reed means “red-haired”. Our records link it to English and Scottish roots.

About the name Reed

Reed is a boy name of English and Scottish origin meaning “red-haired”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with R and ending in “-eed”. US birth records list Reed for boys from 1881 to 2025, in 145 of those 145 years. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked #318 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #417, with 770 babies.

Origin:English namesScottish names