Show ContentsRing History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Ring family

The surname Ring was first found in Norfolk where conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Ringstead, held by Norman noble Roger de Evreux as an under tenant also at Great Bircham and Old Buckenham in that same county who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Roger held from William de Scohies who was tenant in chief. Roger was the son of Comte de Evreux, who was the son of Richard 1, Duke of Normandy.

Roger Ringstead (died 1366), was Bishop of Bangor, perhaps a native of Ringstead in Norfolk, educated at Cambridge, where he became doctor and professor of theology. 1

Early History of the Ring family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ring research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1210, 1284 and 1299 are included under the topic Early Ring History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ring Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ringstead, Ringsted, Ring, Wring and others.

Early Notables of the Ring family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • the Ring family of Norfolk

Ring Ranking

In the United States, the name Ring is the 2,137th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 2


United States Ring migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ring Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Andrew Ring, who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1629
  • William Ring, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1632 3
  • Mr. Robert Ring, (King), aged 24, who arrived aboard the ship "Confidence" in 1638 in New England and Boston stated, found in Salisbury. 4
  • Robert Ring, who landed in New England in 1640 3
  • Robert Ring, who arrived in Boston in 1640
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ring Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Ring, a merchant of York County, Virginia whose tomb shows him to have died in 1702
  • Mary Ring, who landed in Virginia in 1703 3
  • Agnesia Ring, who arrived in Georgia sometime between 1733 and 1783
  • Tobias Ring, aged 22, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1741 3
  • Henry Christophel Ring, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ring Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Ring, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
  • James Ring, on record in New York in 1818
  • Patrick Ring, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1840 3
  • Dennis Ring, who landed in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1843 3
  • Cornelius Ring, aged 36, who arrived in Missouri in 1848 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Ring migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ring Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • George Ring, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1762
Ring Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Lawrence Ring, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1828
  • William Ring, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "William" from Kinsale, Ireland
  • Patrick Ring, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the schooner "Jane" from Galway, Ireland
  • Thomas Ring, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843

Australia Ring migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ring Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Ring, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 18th June 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
  • Mr. Edward Ring who was convicted in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Duchess of Northumberland" on 1st October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • John Ring, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Anna Maria" on March 6, 1848, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7
  • John Ring, aged 62, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Emigrant" 8
  • Bridget Ring, aged 19, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Europa" 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Ring migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ring Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Timothy Ring, (b. 1846), aged 28, Irish labourer from County Cork travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 10
  • Mrs. Mary Ring, (b. 1850), aged 24, Irish settler from County Cork travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 10
  • Miss Caroline Ring, (b. 1873), aged 1, Irish settler from County Cork travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Ring (post 1700) +

  • Brad Ring (b. 1987), American soccer player
  • Roger Royce Ring (b. 1980), American Major League Baseball relief pitcher
  • Jonathan Ring, American classical musician, faculty member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
  • Harry Ring, American politician, Socialist Workers Candidate for New York State Comptroller, 1950 11
  • George E. Ring, American politician, Mayor of Beardstown, Illinois, 1953 11
  • Fred P. Ring, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Maine State House of Representatives from Cumberland County, 1919-20 11
  • Eugene F. Ring, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1996 11
  • Elizabeth Ring, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nebraska, 2000, 2004 11
  • Elizabeth Ring, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Queens County 3rd District, 1944 11
  • Eleanor R. Ring, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1960 (alternate), 1964 (alternate), 1972; Presidential Elector for California, 1968 11
  • ... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

SS Newfoundland
  • Mr. Thomas Ring, Newfoundlander from St. John's, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he survived


Suggested Readings for the name Ring +

  • Ancestors, Descendants and Other Relatives of Joseph Henry Ring and Sarah Ann Combs by Elma A. Ring.
  • Nathaniel Ring by Donald Levi McClure.

  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duchess-of-northumberland
  7. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anna Maria voyage to Van Diemen's Land or Port Phillip, Australia in 1848 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anna-maria/1848
  8. South Australian Register Wednesday 25th October 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Emigrant 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/emigrant1854.shtml
  9. South Australian Register Monday 14th May 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Europa 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/europa1855.shtml
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook