Surname Rylant - Meaning and Origin

Rylant: What does the surname Rylant mean?

The last name Rylant does not have a documented etymological meaning. It appears to be rare and possibly of French origin but unverified. It became known largely due to the popular American author Cynthia Rylant, who has written numerous children's books. Surnames can relate to geographical places, occupations, descriptive nouns, or can be patronymic. In some cases, they have been modified over centuries, making their original meaning difficult to trace. If the surname Rylant has a specific historical, occupational, or descriptive meaning, it's currently not widely recorded or recognized. It's worth noting that the comprehending of a surname meaning can depend on its cultural and regional origins which can vary widely, thus a universal understanding may not always be applicable or available.

Rylant: Where does the name Rylant come from?

The last name Rylant is most commonly seen in the United States, where it is ranked 9016th in terms of population. While its origin is unknown, the name is most popular in the states of Arkansas, Ohio, and Indiana, with other notable concentrations appearing in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Rylant is German in origin and could be related to the words “rialand” or “riolant,” meaning “land of rye.” This suggests that the family originating this name might have come from Germany and arrived in the United States around the 1800s.

The Rylant family is an established one in the U.S., with records of them appearing all through U.S. census documents since the mid-1800s. Today, the name is seen most prominently in Arkansas, with its own entry on the Arkansas genealogical society website, and with many born with the name still living in the same states. The name is also found in other countries as well, particularly Canada, Australia, and Germany.

In various countries across the globe, the most famous bearer of the name is undoubtedly Cynthia Rylant, an acclaimed author and illustrator of children’s and young adult books. Whether visiting an Arkansas-based website or looking up records of old German immigrants, Rylant remains a prominent name that seems to appear in multiple settings.

Variations of the surname Rylant

The surname Rylant has a number of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Rylant is most often seen as an Americanized version of the surname Riehl. This spelling evolved from the German name Rühl, which was derived from Middle High German ruol, meaning “famous” or “renowned.” The most common Americanized spellings of Rylant include Reehl, Rheel, Riehl, Rile, Rilio, Ryel, and Ryelant.

Other surnames of the same origin include Reihl, Roehl, Rol, Ruhl, Ruland, and Rulle. These variants emerged with the addition of ornamental endings, such as “-and” or “-le.” They were often used to differentiate between families that shared the same original surname.

In addition to the various spellings of Rylant, the surname is also seen in the Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden as Ryland, Röland, and Rylandt. It has also appeared in French documents as Rioul.

Rylant is a fairly uncommon surname, but there are records of its use dating back to the 17th century. It has been used to identify many families in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and still appears in many countries today.

Famous people with the name Rylant

• Cynthia Rylant: Cynthia is an author, having written over 100 books for children, young adults, and adults. She has won the Newbery Medal and is a three-time winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Literature.
• Jimmy Rylant: Jimmy was a professional American football player who played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams between 1960 and 1969.
• Ben Rylant: Ben is an actor who has appeared on various television shows, such as “The X-Files”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, and “Boston Legal”.
• Fiona Rylant: Fiona is a singer-songwriter from Australia whose songs have been featured in numerous films and television shows in Australia, as well as on radio throughout the country.
• Mike Rylant: Mike is an American artist whose work consists of hand-painted, abstract art. His artwork is widely collected and exhibited in galleries throughout the United States.
• Charles Rylant: Charles is a professional journalist and editor whose work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle. He has also written extensively for the Associated Press News Service.
• Steff Rylant: Steff is a professional dancer whose work has been seen in numerous productions all over the world, such as So You Think You Can Dance and The Voice.
• John Rylant: John is an American politician who is a member of the United States House of Representatives for the state of Ohio, where he currently serves as the ranking member of the Committee on the Budget.
• Saunders Rylant: Saunders is an American film director and producer. He has directed and produced films such as Raise the Titanic, The Dark Knight, and National Treasure. 10.Edward Rylant: Edward is an American professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s. He is the son of former NBA player Jimmy Rylant.

Other surnames

RylandRylands