Explore the Family Name Rye
The meaning of Rye
1. English: variant of Rea. 2. 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. 3. Norwegian: habitational name from any of several farmsteads so named, most of them from Old Norse rjóthr ‘clearing in a forest’. 4. Danish: habitational name from a place called Rye.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rye in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Rye has seen a slight decrease between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 7446 among all surnames but dropped to 8128 in 2010, marking a decline of 9.16%. The count of individuals with the Rye surname also dipped slightly from 4120 in 2000 to 4079 in 2010, a reduction of 1%. Moreover, the proportion of this surname per 100,000 people decreased by 9.8%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,446 | #8,128 | -9.16% |
| Count | 4,120 | 4,079 | -1% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.53 | 1.38 | -9.8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rye
Regarding the ethnicity associated with the surname Rye, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the majority identifying as White showed a marginal decrease from 91% in 2000 to 90.39% in 2010, there was an uptick in those identifying as Hispanic, increasing by 56.89%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander remained relatively stable, decreasing slightly by 1.82%, while those identifying as Black decreased by 17.36%. Interestingly, the percentage of individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native increased by 25.56%. There was no change in the proportion of individuals identifying with two or more races, remaining at 1.67% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91% | 90.39% | -0.67% |
| Hispanic | 1.67% | 2.62% | 56.89% |
| Black | 3.11% | 2.57% | -17.36% |
| Two or More Races | 1.67% | 1.67% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.65% | 1.62% | -1.82% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.9% | 1.13% | 25.56% |
Rye ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Rye is British & Irish, which comprises 51.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.7%) and Scandinavian (7.9%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Filipino & Austronesian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.1% |
| French & German | 21.7% |
| Scandinavian | 7.9% |
| Other | 19.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Rye
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Rye have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
What Rye haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Rye is R-CTS4065, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS4065 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Gay, Bristow, Wilder, Navarro, Duke, Hirst, Allison, Acuna, Cintron, Mathews.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Rye surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Rye have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Rye" Surname 36.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Rye" Surname 25.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Rye" Surname 20.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Rye" Surname 16.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Rye?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Rye are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition