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Ring Family History

Ring Surname Meaning

English, Danish, German, and Dutch: metonymic occupational name for a maker of rings (from Middle English ring, Middle High German rinc, Middle Dutch ring), either to be worn as jewelry or as component parts of chain-mail, harnesses, and other objects. It may also have arisen as a nickname for a wearer of a ring. This name (of German origin) is also found in Slovenia and in Czechia. Compare English Ringer and German Rink.

Norwegian: variant of Ringen. German: topographic name from Middle High German, Middle Low German rink, rinc ‘circle’ for someone who lived at a square or market place; or a nickname for a quick or slight, small person from Middle High German ringe ‘quick, nimble; small, not noteworthy’.

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Rinn ‘descendant of Reann’, a personal name possibly derived from reann ‘spear’. Irish: from Mac Bhroin; see McCrann.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Ring family from?

You can see how Ring families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ring family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ring families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 458 Ring families living in London. This was about 29% of all the recorded Ring's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Ring families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ring surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Ring ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ring. 18% of Ring men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Ring women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ring were General Labourer Heavy Worker and Private Means.

View Census Data for Ring | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    18%
  • Builders Labourer
    16%
  • Bricklayer
    6%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%

What Ring family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 132,000 census records available for the last name Ring. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ring census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ring

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Ring. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ring immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 33,000 military records available for the last name Ring. For the veterans among your Ring ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ring military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ring family history

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What is the average Ring lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ring life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Ring in 1940 was 67, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ring

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ring ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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