Show ContentsRyman Surname History

Extended Surname History Download (PDF) - Letter Size

Extended Surname History Download (PDF) - Letter Size

Etymology of Ryman

What does the name Ryman mean?

The surname Ryman is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It is derived from Old English, and can be translated as "one who dwells on the low-lying land by the stream." Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Raymond' 1 and in this case, it was "introduced at the Conquest, or soon after." 2

Early Origins of the Ryman family

The surname Ryman was first found in Sussex and along the east coast of England, where the ancestral home of the Ryman family is thought to be located. The earliest known bearer of the name was Robert Ryman, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. 3

Berry's Sussex Genealogies, lists Rayman, of Apledram as the main family holding estates in Sussex. Today Apledram (Appledram) is a small parish on the northeastern upper reach of Chichester Harbour about two miles south-west of the centre of Chichester in West Sussex. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 have two early spellings of the family, both listed in Cambridgeshire: Richard filius Reimund and Robert filius Reimund. 1

Kirby's Quest listed Philip Remond, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III.) 5

Early History of the Ryman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ryman research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1359, 1377, 1580, 1620, 1650, 1729 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Ryman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ryman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rayman, Ryman, Raiman, Reaman, Reeman and others.

Early Notables of the Ryman family

Jacob Rayman (fl. 1620-1650), the earliest British violin maker. He is said to have been a Tyrolese by birth, and to have come to London in 1620. However, his work bears no trace of foreign influence, and he may have been connected with the Rayman family settled in...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ryman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ryman Ranking

the United States, the name Ryman is the 16,377th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Ryman family to Ireland

Some of the Ryman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ryman migration to the United States +



Ryman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Nicholas Ryman, who landed in Virginia in 1639 7
  • William Ryman, who arrived in Maryland in 1668-1679 7

Ryman 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:

Ryman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Ryman, aged 28, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • Caroline Ryman, aged 26, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • James Ryman, aged 5, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • George Ryman, aged 1, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Ryman (post 1700) +

  • Thomas "Tom" Green Ryman (1841-1904), known as Capt. Tom Ryman, American riverboat captain and riverboat company owner and businessman from Tennessee who built the Union Gospel Tabernacle, later known as the Ryman Auditorium, a live performance venue and National Historic Landmark in Nashville
  • Herbert Dickens Ryman Jr. (1910-1989), American artist and Disney Imagineer who worked in watercolor, oils, and pen & ink sketches, in 1953 Ryman drew the first illustrations of Walt Disney's vision of a theme park that eventually became Disneyland
  • Cordy Ryman (b. 1971), American artist based in New York City, son of artist Robert Ryman (1930-2019)
  • Will Ryman (b. 1969), American artist known for his large-scale sculptures and public art projects
  • Tommy Ryman (b. 1983), American stand-up comedian who was a semifinalist on Season 8 of the TV show Last Comic Standing
  • Geoff Ryman (b. 1951), American award-winning author of science fiction
  • Robert Ryman (b. 1930), American painter whose works have been exhibited in the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitechapel Art Gallery, and the Tate Gallery
  • Henry J Ryman, British entrepreneur, founder of Ryman, a stationery retail company now with 205 outlets nationwide in the United Kingdom in 1893
  • John Ryman (b. 1930), former British Labour Party Member of Parliament
Cataraqui
  • John Ryman (b. 1816), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Hannah Ryman (b. 1819), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • James Ryman (b. 1837), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Joseph Ryman (b. 1840), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Mary Ryman (b. 1844), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. 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)

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