ɐ vˈɛɹiənt spˈɛlɪŋ ɪz fˈaʊnd ɪnðə pˈɜːsən ʌv ɡˈɑːdwɪn lə ɹᵻdˈɛ, ɹᵻkˈoːɹdᵻd ɪn nˈɔːɹfək ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti θɹˈiː, ænd ɐ tˈɑːməs ɹˈiːd ɪz ɹᵻkˈoːɹdᵻd ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd θɹˈiːhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti sˈɛvən; ðɛɹ jˈuːs ʌvðə nˈeɪm wʊdhɐv bˌɪn æz ɐ hˈɛɹɪɾəbəl sˈɜːneɪm.
A variant spelling is found in the person of Godwin le Rede, recorded in Norfolk in 1273, and a Thomas Read is recorded in 1327; their use of the name would have been as a heritable surname.