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The name Rye reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Rye family lived in Normandy at Rye, three leagues north of Bayeux. "Geoffrey de Rie was living c. 980. His son Odo Fitz Geoffrey gave half the church of Rie to Fescamp Abbey, which was confirmed 1027 by Richard II. of Normandy." 1
"It was Hubert de Rie, who, in 1047, saved the life of the young Duke of Normandy the future Conqueror of England when flying from the conspirators of the Cotentin. He had made his escape by night from Valognes, without armour or attendants, and " dared not," says Wace, " turn towards Bayeux, for he knew not whom to trust, so he took the way which passes between Bayeux and the sea. And as he rode through Rie before the sun rose, Hubert de Rie stood at his gate, between the church and his castle, and saw Wilham pass in disorder, and that his horse was all in a sweat. ' How is it that you travel so, fair sire ? ' said he. ' Hubert,' said William, ' dare I tell you ?' Then Hubert said, "Of a truth, most surely ! say on boldly ! 'I will have no secrets with you; my enemies follow seeking me, and menace my life. I know that they have sworn my death.' " Then Hubert led him into his hostel, and gave him his good horse, and called forth his three sons. 'Fair sons,' said he, ' muntez ! muntez ! Behold your lord ; conduct him till ye have lodged him in Falaise. This way ye shall pass; it will be ill for you to touch upon any town.' So Hubert taught them well the ways and turnings ; and his sons understood all rightly, and followed his instructions exactly. They crossed all the country, passed Folpendant at the ford, and lodged William at Falaise." 2
William never forgot the good deed. By the time of the Conquest, Hubert "was then an old man, and must have died before 1086, as his sons only are entered in Domesday. There were four: Ralph, Hubert, Adam, and Eudo, all of them magnificently endowed by the Conqueror." 2
The surname Rye was first found in Norfolk, where Hubert de Ria was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1169. Matillis de la Rye was registered in Hampshire in 1237; William de Rye was found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1240; and Geoffrey ate Rye was listed in 1297. 3
In addition to the Ryes of Whitwell in Derbyshire, William de Rye perhaps the same William mentioned in Norfolk was Conservator of York in 1287. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: John de Rye, Lincolnshire; and John de la Rye, Kent. 4
Rye in Sussex is probably related to the family. "This place, which belonged originally to the monastery of Feschamp, in Normandy, was at an early date, together with Winchelsea, annexed to the cinque-ports of England, in the charters granted to which these two towns are invariably styled 'ancient towns.' In the reign of Edward III., Rye was surrounded by a strong wall with several gates, of which that called the Land Gate, the only one remaining, now forms a beautiful entrance to the town from the London and Dover roads. " 5
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rye research. Another 299 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1268, 1272, 1276, 1277, 1280, 1290, 1309, 1461 and 1583 are included under the topic Early Rye History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Rye family name include Rye, Rie, Ries, Ryse, Rise and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Rye Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Rye is the 8,246th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Rye family to immigrate North America: