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Rye Family History

Rye Surname Meaning

English: variant of Rea. English: topographic name for someone living at a place where rye (Old English ryge) was grown or perhaps an occupational name for someone who grew or sold it.

Norwegian: habitational name from any of several farmsteads so named, most of them from Old Norse rjóthr ‘clearing in a forest’.

Danish: habitational name from a place called Rye.

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


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Where is the Rye family from?

You can see how Rye families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rye family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rye families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 65 Rye families living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Rye's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rye families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rye 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 Rye ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Rye. 55% of Rye men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Rye women worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Rye | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    55%
  • Labourer
    13%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Carpenter
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    100%

What Rye family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 44,000 census records available for the last name Rye. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rye census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rye

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Rye. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Rye immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Rye. For the veterans among your Rye ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rye military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rye family history

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What is the average Rye lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Rye life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Rye in 1946 was 45, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rye

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rye 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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