Reëling

Reëling is a surname of Dutch origin, occasionally attested as a place-name in historical documents. The diacritic over the first e indicates a hiatus between vowels, signaling two syllables in traditional Dutch spelling; in modern usage the form is often rendered without diacritics as Reeling.

Origin and formation: The name is generally regarded as patronymic, derived from a given name such as Rein or Reyn, with the suffix -ling signaling descent or family relation. The structure mirrors other Dutch or Low Franconian surnames formed from a personal name plus a diminutive or ancestral marker.

Historical usage: Reëling appears in medieval and early modern records in the Low Countries, with spelling varying by region and manuscript before orthographic standardization.

Geography and demographics: Today Reëling is relatively rare. In the Netherlands, it has small clusters in the eastern and central provinces, with remnant lineages in Gelderland and Limburg. Outside the Netherlands, the name occurs sporadically in Belgium and among emigrant communities in neighboring countries, and in diaspora contexts where forms may be adapated.

See also: Related surnames include Reiling and Ree Ling as contemporary variants, reflecting shifts in spelling over time.