Ringewoode History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Ringewoode is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Ringewoode family lived at Ringwood, in Hampshire. Since in Old English the word hring meant both circle and boundary, it is thought that the name of this place indicated was a reference to the edge of a forest.

Early Origins of the Ringewoode family

The surname Ringewoode was first found in Hampshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Ringwood. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in the year 1086, a survey of England initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his Conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D., Ringwood was held as King's land and the holder is not named. As was the Norman custom the second son of the Norman holder of the land assumed the name of the Manor and village. In 1086, the village held two mills.

Early History of the Ringewoode family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ringewoode research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1685 is included under the topic Early Ringewoode History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ringewoode Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Ringwood, Ringewood, Ringwode and others.

Early Notables of the Ringewoode family

More information is included under the topic Early Ringewoode Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ringewoode family to Ireland

Some of the Ringewoode 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.

Migration of the Ringewoode family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Ringewoode or a variant listed above were: Robert Ringwood who landed in North America in 1753.