Ringold History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Ringold is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Ringold family lived in Yorkshire. The name is thought to be a combination of the names of two areas, Ringborough and Roos, both of which were held by the same tenant in Chief. Since it was the Norman custom for all but the first son to take the name of the land which the family held it is thought that the name is a rare combined derivation.

Early Origins of the Ringold family

The surname Ringold was first found in Yorkshire but the ancient origin of this name is obscure. 1 The first on record is John Ringerose who was listed in Norwich in 1259. John Ringros was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland in 1332 and Thomas Ryngotherose was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in the same year. 2

Stephen Ryngros was Chaplain of St. Mary's in Scarborough in Yorkshire in the year 1582. Conjecturally they may be of Norse origin, from Hringr, but this would date back so far that for all intents and purposes they would have become immersed in the Norman culture. The name, however, seems to have caught the attention and imagination of the first Queen Elizabeth, for she commanded a Hampshire gentleman to adopt the name of Colonel John Ringrose about the same year and bade him journey to Ireland to seek his fortune. The Irish herald, however, claims he was from Yorkshire, and settled in East Clare in the south of Ireland.

At the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 there were two villages in the East Riding of Yorkshire, one Ringborough and the other Roos. Both of these villages were held by a Norman noble and tenant-in-chief, Drogo de Beuvriere, 3 and, as it was the custom for junior sons to take the surname of their village, the name may have derived from a combination of these two village names and be directly descended from Drogo Ring-Roos.

Early History of the Ringold family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ringold research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1678 and 1686 are included under the topic Early Ringold History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ringold Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Ringrose, Ryngrose, Ryngerose, Ringerose and others.

Early Notables of the Ringold family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Stephen Ryngros, Chaplain of St. Mary's, in Scarborough in Yorkshire. Mention should also be made of the infamous Basil Ringrose (d.1686) the noted buccaneer, navigator, geographer and author. He died during...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ringold Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ringold family to Ireland

Some of the Ringold family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ringold migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Ringold or a variant listed above:

Ringold Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Ringold, who arrived in Maryland in 1675 4

Ringold Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Antoni Ringold, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1802 4
J Ringold, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)