Reynolds surname meaning

Reynolds is a patronymic: “son of Reynold,” with Reynold also appearing as a form of Reginald. The given name entered English naming through Norman and Germanic traditions, while related Irish families used forms such as Mac Raghnaill. The final -s works like a possessive or family-descent marker, so the surname originally pointed to a father or ancestor named Reynold rather than to a location or occupation. Renaud and related spellings belong to the same broad name family, but they do not make every Reynolds line genealogically identical. The Census spelling is the familiar English form, carried through many British, Irish, and American family histories.