REDER
The surname Reder is a German occupational name that can be traced back to the Middle High German word *reder*.
It originally referred to a **counselor** or **adviser**, denoting a person who held a position of authority or who was respected for wise counsel.
In early medieval English records the name also appears in forms such as *le Redere* and *Redere*. These records suggest that some bearers were associated with thatching cottages using reeds, a craft described in Middle English as *red(yn)* from the Old English *hreod* meaning reed. The earliest English reference is Adam le Redere in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire dated 1273, while Symon le Redere is noted in the 1279 Suffolk Subsidy Rolls and William Redere appears as rector of Baldswell in Norfolk in 1420.
Further documentary evidence from England includes the burial of John King, *reder*, in the churchyard of St. Vaste’s in 1512, where he is recorded as having contributed £20 towards the construction of a new porch. In 1533 the Reders, along with the Thaxters and Rede‑sellers, took part in the Corpus Christi Guild Procession in Norwich, indicating the surname’s established presence in medieval society.
A coat of arms has been granted to a branch of the family bearing the name Reeder. The escutcheon is described as **Ermine, on a fess azure a leopard's face between two crescents or**; the crest consists of **a leopard's head azure, collared or**.
The surname Reder is most commonly found today in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and other parts of Eastern Europe, where it is associated with a broad Germanic and Slavic heritage. In the United States the name is relatively uncommon, with an estimated 15 000 individuals bearing the surname, many of whom can trace their ancestry to German immigrants who arrived in Pennsylvania in the 1750s and earlier. In the United Kingdom there are approximately 7 000 people with the surname, and in Canada the number is just over 2 000. Thus, while Reder remains an uncommon surname, it is still retained largely among descendants of German immigrants across the globe.
Variations in spelling are recorded, most notably **Reader** and **Reeder**, which arise from orthographic changes over time. In German contexts the name may also appear as **Rederer** or **Redecker**, reflecting occupational distinctions such as rower or helmsman. These variants illustrate the diverse linguistic and historical pathways that have produced the modern surname Reder.
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
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Sorry, we don't have any statistics on this name. That's probably because it's very uncommon in Britain.
