Surname De Reus - Meaning and Origin
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De Reus: What does the surname De Reus mean?
The last name De Reus is of Dutch origin and it translates to "The Giant" in English. This surname may have originally been a nickname for a person of exceptional height or a larger than average size, deriving from the Middle Dutch terms "de" meaning "the" and "reus" meaning "giant." It's also possible that it could have been metaphorical, chosen to imply strength, dominance or other characteristics associated with giants. Surnames based on physical characteristics, occupations, or geographical locations were common in the Middle Ages as a means of distinguishing between individuals with the same first name. Therefore, the bearer of the last name "De Reus" would have been identified as a person who had significant physical stature, strength, or was somehow associated with the metaphorical attributes of a giant.
Order DNA origin analysisDe Reus: Where does the name De Reus come from?
The last name De Reus is primarily found in the Netherlands today, where it is most common in the province of North Holland. The name is also found to a lesser extent in neighboring countries like Belgium, Germany, and France. Within the Netherlands, areas with high populations of people with the last name include Haarlem and Amsterdam, as well as further out in the countryside of North Holland. The origins of the last name are uncertain, though it is believed it comes from a location name, referring to a person from a place known as Reus or Reuse (now called Reusel).
One theory claims that the area took its name from the river Reuss in Switzerland. In the 19th century, the Dutch spelling of the name was Reus, although the original spelling was Reuse. The current spelling, De Reus, is most likely the result of a particular rural family of the name adopting the more sophisticated, upper-class naming convention based on their status.
The name is associated with Reusel, a municipality in North Brabant, Netherlands, and many people with the name De Reus today have their origin there. In addition to the Netherlands, there are small numbers of De Reus in South Africa, Canada, and the United States, but these are all likely descendants from the Dutch settlers of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Variations of the surname De Reus
De Reus is a Dutch surname derived from the word “raaf” meaning “raven”. The variants of this surname include De Raaf, Reus, and de Reus. Other spellings and surnames of the same origin include De Raef, Reusen, Reeve, Reves, Reavez and Reevers.
The De Reus surname is associated with the Dutch aristocracy, and some nobles of this name date back to the late Middle Ages. Some records indicate that the De Reus family originated in the Netherlands in the 1280s and came to prominence during the Dutch Golden Age in the 1600s and 1700s.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Dutch immigrants bearing the De Reus surname established families in France, the United States, South Africa, Indonesia, and other parts of the world. Immigration records indicate that several members of this surname made the voyage to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, with the majority of them settling in the states of Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The spelling of the surname changed upon emigration, and in the United States and other countries the variants and spellings of De Reus come in a variety of forms like Rees, Ries, Reys, Reass, Reevers, Reeve, Raves, Rave, and others. It is also common for people with this surname to adopt the prefix of “van der” or “von der”, and hyphenation of the two parts of the surname is also common.
In conclusion, the surname De Reus is a Dutch surnames with variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin that include De Raaf, Reus, de Reus, De Raef, Reusen, Reeve, Reves, Reavez, Reevers, Rees, Ries, Reys, Reass, Reevers, Reeve, Raves, and Rave.
Famous people with the name De Reus
- Arnout de Reus (philosopher)
- Jaco de Reus (chef, TV-chef, and food writer)
- Lieuwe de Reus (sailor)
- Peter de Reus (director general for Innovation and Technology in the Netherlands)
- Maaike de Reus (author and journalist)
- Willem de Reus (art student and restaurateur)
- Robert De Reus (writer and inventor)
- Shola De Reus (artist)
- Marija De Reus (opera singer)
- Bob De Reus (musician)
- Sjef De Reus (artist, designer, and illustrator)
- Eelke De Reus (researcher in the forests of Suriname)
- Geert-Jan de Reus (data scientist)
- Channa de Reus (interior designer)
- Marjolein de Reus (botanist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands)