Reddy
An Irish surname most often linked to Ó Rodaigh, meaning a descendant of someone with a red or ruddy complexion.
The #2,858 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,476 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Reddy is chiefly Irish, usually explained as an Anglicized form of an Irish name such as Ó Rodaigh, related to a root meaning “red” or “ruddy.” In older English surname books it is also sometimes treated as a spelling variant or close relative of Ready, Reed, Reid, or other names built on the same red/ruddy element. Because of that overlap, some historical writers give mixed or alternative explanations.
History
In Ireland, Reddy appears in several genealogical and surname surveys as an established family name, especially in records from the west and midlands. English etymologists also sometimes grouped it with Ready or with place-based surnames like Reading or Redding, showing that the name was not always distinguished consistently in older sources. In modern use, Reddy is well established in Ireland and among Irish diaspora communities.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older Irish surname studies often place Reddy alongside Roddy and Reidy, reflecting how closely those names were linked in historical spelling and pronunciation.
From the historical record
“REDDIEl REDDY J Ready, q.v. REDDING (Eng.) i Dweller at the Red Mea- dow [O.E. riad, red -f O.N.E. ing, O.N. eng, a meadow] There is a Redding in Stirlingshire.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)