Reason (surname)

Reason is a surname[1] of Old French[2] origin. It is the 80,274th[3] most common surname in the world and approximately 5,465 people bear this surname.[3] It is from the Old French "Raison", which means reasoning and intellectual faculty,[2] and it would have been a nickname for an intelligent person.[4]

Etymology and history

The surname was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066,[2] and it is an example of the sizable group of early European surnames that were created through the habitual use of nicknames.

People with the surname include:

The surname Reason was first seen in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat at Market, Middle and West Rasen which was held by Bishop Odo of Bayeux.[4] The under- tenant holding from the Bishop was Alfred of Lincoln (a Norman noble) and conjecturally most of the Reason family in Britain are descended from him.[4]

Variations

Before the English dictionary and the printing press, no surnames were standardised. There were many variations, including Reason, Rasen, Rason, Rayson, Reson, Reasons, Resons, Reeson, Resen, Resun, Raysun and Rasne.

References
  1. Services, Good Stuff IT. "Reason surname meaning, origin, etymology and distribution in Great Britain". www.britishsurnames.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  2. "Surname Database: Reason Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  3. "Reason Surname Meaning, Origins & Distribution". forebears.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  4. "Reason Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms". HouseOfNames. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
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