Reid is a Scottish surname from the Old English read, meaning "red", originally a nickname for someone with red hair or a ruddy face. It is a classic one-syllable surname name with a crisp, confident sound. Reid has been in the US top 1000 throughout this century, climbed from number 437 in 2000 to a peak of 259 in 2013 and ranks 293rd among boys' names in 2025.