Rite History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The ancestors of the Rite family derived their name from the "Anglo-Saxon wyrhta [which] signifies, in its widest sense, the same as the Latin faber, a workman of any kind, but more specifically an artificer in hard materials. The eminent antiquary who bears this surname observes, that "Smith was the general term for a worker in metals, and Wright for one who worked in wood and other materials. Hence in the later English period smith became the peculiar name of a blacksmith, and wright of a carpenter, as it is still in Scotland." 1

Early Origins of the Rite family

The surname Rite was first found in Sussex where Patere le Writh was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1214. Years later, the same rolls but in 1255 and this time in Essex, listed Robert le Wrichte in 1255. Richard le Wrete was found in the Assize Rolls for Kent in 1317 and later, Hugh le Wreghte in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. Thomas le Wrighte was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Derbyshire in 1327 and Walter le Wrytte in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Robert le Wriete in Cambridgeshire; Roger le Wriete in Cambridgeshire; and Margery le Wrytte in Cambridgeshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Adam Wrygson; Robert Wreghtson; and Johannes Redebarn, wryght. 3

"This name is distributed over England, but is comparatively infrequent in the counties on the south coast, and in the northern counties north of Yorkshire. It exists in densest numbers in the counties lying between the Wash and the Thames, being especially numerous in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, and also, but to a less extent, in Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. In the midlands it is nearly as crowded, and has its chief centres in Warwickshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire, etc. It is also very frequent in Lincolnshire and Cheshire, and is somewhat less numerous in Lancashire and Yorkshire. The Wrights have established themselves in Scotland, though in no great numbers, and not usually north of Perthshire.' 4

Early History of the Rite family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rite research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1342, 1590, 1602, 1609, 1611, 1615, 1623, 1634, 1637, 1654, 1657, 1658, 1660, 1664, 1670, 1675, 1682, 1683, 1685, 1687, 1689, 1690, 1721 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Rite History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rite Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wright, Right, Write, Wrighte and others.

Early Notables of the Rite family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Abraham Wright (1611-1690) English theological writer and deacon

Migration of the Rite family to Ireland

Some of the Rite family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 132 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rite migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rite Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edmond Rite, who arrived in Maryland in 1646 5
Christopher Rite, who landed in Maryland in 1662 5

Rite Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Rite, who landed in Virginia in 1714 5

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)