Reis (surname)

Reis is a common surname in the Portuguese language, namely in Portugal and Brazil. It was originally a Christian devotional family name of the Middle Ages, probably due to the Portuguese name for the Biblical Magi, the Reis Magos (the Magi Kings). Sometimes the surname is dos Reis (of the Kings). The Reis surname does not denote a single genealogical origin and there are many different families bearing that surname. The Reis etymology is probably from the Latin Rex ("King"), and it is noticeable that it has relations with the German Reich ("Kingdom, Empire"), and the Dutch Rijk (also "Kingdom, Empire"), the Germanic names Rick, Rich, Richard, etc. The Spanish version of this surname is Reyes.

Reis is also a common surname in the German language (where its alternative meaning is "rice"), a historically famous epithet derived from military rank in Turkey (e.g., Piri Reis), and was also used by some European Jews.

It is a name associated with a great number of different people:

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/10/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.