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Ryals Family History

Ryals Name Meaning

English (Yorkshire): variant of Ryles . Compare Royals with which it may have been confused. This surname is now rare in Britain.

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


Similar surnames: Ryans, Rials, Royals, Veals, Rans, Roads, Boals, Ryant, Reams, Rial

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Ryals family from?

You can see how Ryals families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ryals family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Ryals families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 16 Ryals families living in Georgia. This was about 43% of all the recorded Ryals's in USA. Georgia had the highest population of Ryals families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ryals surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Ryals ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Ryals. 26% of Ryals men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Ryals women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ryals were Farm Laborer and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Ryals | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    26%
  • Laborer
    26%
  • Farming
    4%
  • Farm Laborer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    12%
  • Cook
    12%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Ryals family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 15,000 census records available for the last name Ryals. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ryals census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Ryals

Passenger Lists

There are 747 immigration records available for the last name Ryals. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ryals immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Ryals. For the veterans among your Ryals ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ryals military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ryals family history

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What is the average Ryals lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Ryals life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Ryals in 1944 was 39, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ryals

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Ryals family tree

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