Find out how popular the last name Ryherd is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ryherd.

Ryherd, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ryherd surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ryherd in America

Ryherd is the 57914th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ryherd surname appeared 351 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ryherd.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ryherd to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ryherd

The surname Ryherd has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "ryge," meaning rye, and "hyrde," meaning herdsman or keeper of rye. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who worked as a rye farmer or was responsible for tending to rye fields.

The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Ryherd can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. In this record, the name appears as "Righeard," which is thought to be an early spelling variation of Ryherd.

During the Middle Ages, the name Ryherd was predominantly found in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. Records from this period show various spellings, such as "Riherd," "Ryherde," and "Rygherd," reflecting the inconsistencies in written English at the time.

One notable individual with the surname Ryherd was Sir John Ryherd, born in 1412 in Gloucestershire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in the 15th century. Another early example is William Ryherd, born in 1487 in Oxfordshire, who was a respected scholar and author of several works on theology.

In the 16th century, the name Ryherd was also associated with the village of Ryherd in Warwickshire, which likely derived its name from the surname itself. During this period, a family by the name of Ryherd held significant landholdings in the area and played an influential role in local affairs.

Towards the latter part of the 16th century, the surname Ryherd began to spread beyond its traditional strongholds in the Midlands region. One notable figure from this time was Thomas Ryherd, born in 1562 in Norfolk, who was a successful merchant and benefactor to several charitable causes in the city of Norwich.

In the 17th century, the name Ryherd gained further prominence with the rise of Edward Ryherd, born in 1623 in Gloucestershire. He was a renowned lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in England from 1679 until his death in 1691.

Throughout the centuries, the surname Ryherd has maintained a presence across various regions of England, with different branches of the family establishing themselves in counties like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Northumberland. While the origins of the name can be traced back to the 11th century, its rich history and diverse geographical spread have contributed to its enduring legacy in English surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ryherd

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ryherd.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ryherd was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ryherd has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ryherd was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ryherd, please contact us.

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