Surname Rimington - Meaning and Origin
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Rimington: What does the surname Rimington mean?
The surname Rimington is of English origin, deriving from a geographical locality. The name likely comes from Rimington, a small village and civil parish within the district of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. The village's name provides insight into the meaning of the last name. "Rimington" is believed to be composed of the Old English words "hremm" which means 'boundary', and "tun", meaning 'settlement or farm'. So, the surname Rimington could mean 'farm or settlement on the boundary'. As surnames were often taken based on a person's residence or occupation, individuals bearing the Rimington surname could have had ancestors who lived or worked in that Lancashire village. It’s also thought to be a habitational name, given to people who emigrated from Rimington to other areas, as a means of identifying their original place of residence. As with many surnames, interpretations can vary based on different linguistic and historical analyses.
Order DNA origin analysisRimington: Where does the name Rimington come from?
Rimington is a surname that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 16th century. The name is first seen in documents from the region of Lancashire, England, with the earliest known example being a marriage record of a man named Robert Rimington in the village of Heath Charnock in 1595. Since then, the surname has spread across the British Isles with present-day occurrences the greatest in England, particularly in the northern counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire.
The distribution of Rimington throughout the UK is surprisingly even, with the exception of some constituencies in London, where there appears to be a much higher concentration. This is likely due to the phenomenon of “chain migration”, whereby individuals from a particular area or demographic group relocate to a specific area as part of an organised programme of relocation. This type of movement has particular relevance in relation to the Rimington surname, as Lancashire was a major destination for Irish immigrants during the potato famine of the mid-19th century.
Today, Rimington is still mainly concentrated in the UK, although there are also a smaller number of individuals in Australia and even in the United States, who likely trace their ancestry to British-born immigrants. To summarise, the surname Rimington is most common in the northern counties of the United Kingdom but can also be found in some areas of Australia and the United States.
Variations of the surname Rimington
The surname Rimington is derived from the Old English words "hrym", meaning "shelter", and "inga", meaning meadow or pasture. This combination of words forms the place name meaning "the sheltered meadow". It is also an old English surname, referring to a person who came from such a place.
Variants of this surname include Rimmington, Ryminton, Rymmington and Rymington. There are also alternate spellings including Rymmyngton, Rymyngton, Rymmyngtun, Rymyngtun, Rimmingtun and Rymingtun.
Other surnames of similar origin include Reimington, Ryminge, Rymings and Wymington. Some derivatives of these names include Reymond, Lemington, Ryman, Rymand, Reymund, Ryman and Reimund.
The Rimington surname is a relatively uncommon one. 2004 census records showed that there 56 people bearing the Rimington surname in the United Kingdom and only 163 bearing the Reimington surname. It is most commonly found in the East Riding of Yorkshire, in northern England.
Famous people with the name Rimington
- John Rimington: former British Army Colonel
- David Rimington: former British Army Brigadier-General
- Elliott Rimington: Australian cricket umpire
- John Rimington: former Australian rules footballer
- Kate Rimington: Australian teen pop and folk singer-songwriter
- Sylvester Rimington: English-born West Indian cricketer
- Humphrey Rimington-Wilson: British composer and former British Army officer
- Heather Rimington: Canadian curler
- Carl Rimington: Yorkshire cricketer and footballer
- Joseph Rimington: English footballer who played for Preston North End and Glossop