The name is most likely to derive from rēad, the Anglo-Saxon (Old English) term for the colour red. As a name it is believed to have originally been descriptive of person's complexion or hair being ruddy or red. Old English had spelling variants depending on dialect, rēad was the form in West Saxon, rēid was the spelling characteristic of Northumbrian English. This variation is probably fossilised in the modern name variants, Read and Reid. There is a settlement in Lancashire called Read, the name deriving from an Old English term meaning roe[deer]-headland, this may also account for some Read surnames.
As a personal name a grammatical form of Read, Reada, was used at the earliest stages of English history. The English town of Reading on the River Thames derives its name from a very early English tribal or community group called the Readingas. The Readingas appear to have been named after a chieftain called Reada, "The Red One," with the addition of the element -ingas meaning "the people of." The first written use of the name is that of a Leofwine se Reade (Leofwine the Red), in the time of King Canute, dating to 1016-1020. However, this usage would have been as a descriptive by-name as inherited family surnames had not yet become established. A variant spelling is found in the person of Godwin le Rede, recorded in Norfolk in 1273, and a Thomas Read is recorded in 1327; their use of the name would have been as a heritable surname. A Read family was prominent in early American history, George Read of Delaware was signatory to the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution.
This name is included in the names of the following articles:
Politics and government
Almon Heath Read (1790–1844), lawyer and U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
George Read (Alberta politician), politician and party leader from Alberta
George Read (Ontario politician), (1819–after 1874), businessman and Member of Parliament from Ontario
George Read (U.S. statesman) (1733–1798), lawyer, signer of Declaration of Independence and U.S. Senator from Delaware
George Read, Jr. (1765-1836), lawyer, son of George Read, Sr., U.S. Attorney for the state of Delaware
Jacob Read (1752–1816), lawyer and U.S. Senator from South Carolina
John Erskine Read (1888–1973), lawyer and international jurist from Canada
John Kingsley Read (1937–1985), politician from the United Kingdom
John Milton Read (1842-1881), American politician
John M. Read (1797–1874), lawyer and jurist from Pennsylvania
Mel Read, politician and member of the E.U. Parliament from the United Kingdom
Nathan Read (1759–1849), teacher and U.S. Representative from Massachusetts
Military and naval
Abner Read (1821–1863), U.S. naval officer
Albert Cushing Read (1887–1967), aviator and U.S. naval admiral
Anketell M. Read (1884–1915), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
Charles Read (1840–1890), U.S. and Confederate naval officer
George C. Read, (1788–1862), sailor and American Rear-Admiral
George E. Read, (1838–1910), sailor and American Medal of Honor recipient
Anthony Read, English scriptwriter and editor
Howard Read, British comedian
James Read (born 1953), American television actor
John D. Read, English singer-songwriter
Mike Read (born 1951), British disc jockey and TV presenter
Academics and literature
Allen W. Read (1906–2002), American etymologist and lexicographer
Benedict Read (born 1945), English art historian
Chopper Read (1954–2013), Australian criminal and author
Conyers Read (1881–1959), American historian
Daniel Read (1757–1836), American composer
Florence M. Read, college president
Gardner Read (1913–2005), American composer
Sir Herbert Read (1893–1968), English poet
Sir Hercules Read(1857–1929), British archaeologist and curator at the British Museum
Leonard Read (1898–1983), American think tank founder
Matthew Canfield Read (1825-1902), American geologist and ethnologist
Miss Read (1913-) the pen name of Dora Jessie Saint (from her mother's maiden name), British author
Opie Read (1852–1939), American journalist and humorist
Piers P. Read (born 1941), British novelist and non-fiction author
Ronald K. Read (1887–1975) English developer of Quikscript, an alphabet
Richard Read (born 1957), American journalist
Thomas B. Read (1822–1872), American poet
Business and industry
Ian Read, executive for Pfizer
Rory P. Read, former President & CEO Lenovo, President and CEO AMD
Science and technology
Carveth Read (1848–1931), British philosopher and logician
Charles Read (1958–2015), British mathematician
Herbert Harold Read (1889–1970), British geologist
Charles Read (squash player) (fl. 1920s), English
Chris Read (born 1978), English cricketer
Hopper Read (1910–2000), English cricketer
Ken Read (born 1955), Canadian skier
Kieran Read (born 1985), New Zealand rugby player
Matt Read (born 1986), Canadian hockey player
Maurice Read (1859–1929), English cricketer
Phil Read (born 1939), English motorcycle racer
Reg Read (1886–1974), New Zealand cricketer
Trevor Read (born 1980), Canadian ice hockey defenceman
Walter Read (1855–1907), English cricketer
Blue Tulip Rose Read, English stalker
Deborah Read (1708–1774), the wife of Benjamin Franklin
Gabriel Read, Australian gold prospector
Mary Read (c. 1690–1721), English pirate
Alexander Read (disambiguation)
