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 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 people: