An English surname the Reeves family name comes from the Old English term of ‘aet paere efese’. Then the Middle English term of ‘atter eves’ was developed and meant at the edge. Next the term ‘the reeve’ was used which meant a bailiff or steward. Reeves is also the plural form of the name Reeve. There is the French spelling of Rives, with a family heritage in the southern end of France. Many of those families moved to England and the name became Reeves.

Spellings variations for Reeves include Reeve, Rives and Ryves.

The Reeves surname began in England in Suffolk and also in Lancashire counties with the spelling being le Reve and del Reves. In England, the Reeves surname is mostly in the southern coastal counties such as Wiltshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent and in the city of London. The county of Perthshire, Lanarkshire and Midlothian have the higher populations of Reeves families in Scotland.

The states of Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois and New York have the greater numbers of Reeves families in the United States.

Famous: George Reeves (actor), Steve Reeves (actor and bodybuilder), Matt Reeves (film writer, director and producer), Stevie Reeves (auto racer), Melissa Reeves (actress), Florence Reeves (suffragette of England) and Bryant Reeves (professional basketball player).