The Reiss family, whose members also called themselves Reuss, Reis, Reis-Bing, Dajan, and Ellissen, took their name from the family house Reuse. The family descended from Mosche von Bingen at the zur Kanne und Reuse, and split into three separate branches during the 17th century.
The Reiss-Bing, known as the Bings, always lived at the zur Reuse. The other two branches were descended from the sons of the community leader Mosche zur Reuse. The family house of the second branch was the adjoining Springbrunnen. This branch were called Ellissen or Dayan, after the Hebrew word for rabbinic judge, an honorary religious office which was held by many male members of the family. Another member of this family branch was Löb Elias Reiss, one of the most highly taxed Jews in the mid 18th century. He donated the substantial sum of 28,000 guilders for a Jewish school and synagogue which was located at the Weißer Schwan und Riese until 1883, when it was relocated in the east end of Frankfurt. Many family members were community leaders and very wealthy. The third branch had its family home at the Sonne. They were mostly wealthy merchants and brokers. This branch of the family included the silk merchant Elias Löb Reiss, who served as court factor to the Duke of Weimar-Eisenach. Goethe tried in vain to obtain a Sunday Pass for him, which would have enabled him to leave the Judengasse on Sundays, when the Jews were locked in.