Ries History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Etymology of Ries

What does the name Ries mean?

Ries is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Ries 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

Early Origins of the Ries family

The surname Ries 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

Early History of the Ries family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ries 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 Ries History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ries Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Ries include Rye, Rie, Ries, Ryse, Rise and others.

Early Notables of the Ries family

More information is included under the topic Early Ries Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ries Ranking

In the United States, the name Ries is the 6,386^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Ries migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Riess to arrive on North American shores:

Ries Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joanns Ries, aged 21, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1737 7
Johannes Ries, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1737 7
Johann Peter Ries, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 7
Sebs Ries, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 7
Conrad Ries, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ries Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Luder Ries, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 7
Konrad Ries, who landed in Mississippi in 1840 7
Heinr Peter Ries, who landed in America in 1850 7
Una Ries, aged 21, who arrived in America in 1854 7
Karl Ludw Ries, who arrived in America in 1855 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ries (post 1700) +

Al Ries (1926-2022), American marketing professional and author, co-founder and chairman of the consulting firm Ries & Ries
Henry Ries (1917-2004), German-born, American photographer who worked for New York Times, best remembered for his photograph "The Berlin Air Lift"
Christopher Ries (b. 1952), American glass sculptor
W. F. Ries, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Ohio 9th District, 1910 8
Nickolas Ries, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 31st District, 1942 8
John B. Ries (b. 1870), American politician, Member of Minnesota State Senate 21st District, 1915-18 8
Florian J. Ries, American Republican politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly, 1877-78 8
Elizabeth Ries, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1932 8
Frédérique Ries (b. 1959), Belgian politician and Member of the European Parliament
Pieter Hubert Ries (1802-1886), German violinist and composer
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html