NameCensus.

UK surname

Ryman

A locational surname referring to someone from a town or village called Rye.

In the 1881 census there were 359 people recorded with the Ryman surname, ranking it #8,614 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 508, ranked #9,877, down from #8,614 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Oxford City: St Giles and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Oxfordshire, Lichfield and Uttlesford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ryman is 616 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.5%.

1881 census count

359

Ranked #8,614

Modern count

508

2016, ranked #9,877

Peak year

1911

616 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ryman had 359 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,614 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 508 in 2016, ranked #9,877.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 616 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ryman surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ryman surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ryman surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Ryman over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 248 #8,840
1861 historical 211 #11,508
1881 historical 359 #8,614
1891 historical 493 #7,514
1901 historical 564 #7,397
1911 historical 616 #6,702
1997 modern 487 #9,482
1998 modern 544 #9,000
1999 modern 565 #8,787
2000 modern 540 #9,084
2001 modern 533 #9,013
2002 modern 543 #9,059
2003 modern 538 #8,988
2004 modern 541 #8,964
2005 modern 536 #8,968
2006 modern 520 #9,208
2007 modern 519 #9,300
2008 modern 520 #9,358
2009 modern 540 #9,294
2010 modern 540 #9,491
2011 modern 522 #9,645
2012 modern 511 #9,708
2013 modern 510 #9,871
2014 modern 512 #9,911
2015 modern 504 #9,944
2016 modern 508 #9,877

Geography

Back to top

Where Rymans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Oxford City: St Giles, London parishes and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Oxfordshire, Lichfield, Uttlesford, Basingstoke and Deane and Stratford-on-Avon. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Oxford City: St Giles Oxfordshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Oxfordshire 015 South Oxfordshire
2 Lichfield 011 Lichfield
3 Uttlesford 007 Uttlesford
4 Basingstoke and Deane 007 Basingstoke and Deane
5 Stratford-on-Avon 012 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Ryman

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ryman surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Ryman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ryman, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Ryman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ryman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Ryman is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ryman is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ryman falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ryman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ryman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ryman

The surname Ryman is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name 'Ryman' or 'Rymans' in Yorkshire. The name is thought to have originated from the Old English words 'rym' meaning 'spacious' or 'wide' and 'mann' meaning 'man', suggesting it may have referred to someone who lived in a spacious or wide area.

The earliest known record of the surname Ryman appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1208, where it is listed as 'Rymannus'. This Latin form of the name suggests it was likely adopted by a Norman family who had settled in Yorkshire after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In the 13th century, variations of the name began to appear in various records across England, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as 'Ryman'. This spelling remained predominant throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Ryman surname was Robert Ryman, a landowner and tax collector from Yorkshire, who was recorded in the Yorkshire Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1301. Another early individual with this name was John Ryman, a merchant from London, who was mentioned in the Port Books of Southampton in 1428.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable Rymans emerged. These include Thomas Ryman (1492-1551), a prominent clergyman and academic who served as the Warden of Winchester College, and Richard Ryman (1564-1631), a successful merchant and alderman in the City of London.

In the 18th century, the Ryman family had established themselves as notable landowners and gentry in various parts of England. One such individual was Sir John Ryman (1715-1789), a baronet and Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis.

Throughout the 19th century, several Rymans made their mark in various fields, including William Ryman (1803-1879), a celebrated artist and engraver, and Charles Ryman (1857-1924), a renowned architect and designer of several notable buildings in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Ryman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ryman surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Surrey leads with 60 Rymans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.52x.

County Total Index
Surrey 60 3.52x
Oxfordshire 50 23.12x
Warwickshire 43 4.87x
Middlesex 39 1.11x
Gloucestershire 37 5.39x
Berkshire 22 8.37x
Hampshire 16 2.23x
Yorkshire 15 0.43x
Somerset 13 2.31x
Wiltshire 10 3.23x
Staffordshire 9 0.76x
Dorset 7 3.05x
Worcestershire 7 1.53x
Lancashire 6 0.14x
Glamorgan 5 0.82x
Kent 5 0.42x
Essex 4 0.58x
Hertfordshire 4 1.66x
Leicestershire 3 0.77x
Northamptonshire 2 0.61x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.47x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.90x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 26 Rymans recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.62x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 26 11.62x
Lambeth 19 6.22x
Barton On The Heath 17 7391.30x
Aston 15 6.17x
Leeds 14 7.14x
Bermondsey 11 10.55x
Islington London 11 3.24x
Lechlade 10 709.22x
Handsworth 8 27.46x
Ratcliffe London 8 41.37x
St Pancras London 8 2.84x
Walcot 8 26.65x
East Hagbourn 7 1111.11x
East Meon 7 374.33x
Great Faringdon 7 185.19x
Little Compton 7 1166.67x
Great Barrington 6 1111.11x
Hawling 6 3157.89x
Headington 6 178.57x
Oxford St Ebbe 6 94.19x
Garsington 5 684.93x
Llandaff 5 24.64x
Middleton Stoney 5 1428.57x
Wootton 5 384.62x
Evesham St Lawrence 4 164.61x
Gorton 4 10.24x
Great Bedwin 4 181.82x
Hackney London 4 2.04x
Horfield 4 57.89x
Kensington London 4 2.05x
Long Ashton 4 142.86x
Melbury Abbas 4 1000.00x
Northchurch 4 155.04x
Oxford St Giles 4 38.76x
Sutton Coldfield 4 43.10x
West Ham 4 2.62x
Deptford St Paul 3 3.26x
Gt Tew 3 526.32x
Heather 3 555.56x
Heytesbury 3 265.49x
Rhinefield 3 6000.00x
South Cerney 3 265.49x
Walton On Thames 3 38.31x
Wantage 3 71.60x
Woodstock 3 220.59x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 8.73x
Brockenhurst 2 161.29x
Bromham 2 142.86x
Cholsey 2 96.15x
Enstone 2 151.52x
Evesham All Sts 2 93.90x
Fifield 2 666.67x
Great Rissington 2 400.00x
Moreton In Marsh 2 116.28x
North Hincksey 2 689.66x
Oxford St Thomas 2 19.82x
Painswick 2 41.15x
Peterborough 2 8.39x
Stonesfield 2 285.71x
Sway 2 208.33x
Toxteth Park 2 1.42x
Woolwich 2 4.53x
Alverstoke 1 3.85x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 8.42x
Burford 1 53.19x
Chastleton 1 400.00x
Chesterton 1 256.41x
Cowley 1 14.81x
Croydon 1 1.06x
Durweston 1 222.22x
Fareham 1 11.59x
Limehouse London 1 2.60x
Llanstadwell 1 27.47x
Northfield 1 11.52x
St George Bloomsbury 1 4.98x
Steeple Barton 1 90.91x
Tollard Farnham 1 454.55x
Westminster St 1 7.75x
Wimborne Minster 1 26.88x
Wing 1 51.02x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ryman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 22
Elizabeth 13
Sarah 11
Annie 9
Ann 7
Eliza 6
Jane 6
Louisa 6
Alice 5
Emma 5
Amelia 4
Charlotte 4
Ellen 4
Emily 4
Hannah 4
Harriett 4
Edith 3
Harriet 3
Lucy 3
Rose 3
Ada 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Lily 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Miriam 2
Anne 1
Clara 1
Claria 1
Elizth. 1
Ellin 1
Emila 1
Esther 1
Fernia 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Hettie 1
Hilda 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Linda 1
Lizzie 1
Lora 1
Louise 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ryman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 23
John 21
William 18
Henry 14
Charles 12
Robert 11
Alfred 7
Frederick 5
Frank 4
Thomas 4
Edward 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
James 3
Philip 3
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Joseph 2
Leonard 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Ambrose 1
Andrew 1
Arther 1
Caleb 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.G. 1
Gabriel 1
Hilda 1
I.C.J. 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Percy 1
Raymon 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Ryman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ryman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 359 people were recorded with the Ryman surname. That placed it at #8,614 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ryman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 508 in 2016. That gives Ryman a modern rank of #9,877.

What does the Ryman surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a town or village called Rye.

What does the Ryman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ryman bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.