Monday, February 05, 2007

RITH



Gordo was asking where Rith comes from. Here is the general story, as best as I know it. There is that western bit of Germany the French and Germans are always fighting over, and in the mid-1700s our ancestors were serious protestants, Mennonites. French Catholics were rampaging across eastern France, and either killed protestants or drove them out. My relatives went 3 ways. Some to Switzerland, some to NY and Pennsylvania Dutch country, where a variation of the name, 'Rieth', lives on in some Mennonites who would be distant cousins of mine. Our own branch ran to the Austro-Hungarian empire, famously tolerant of religious groups, including Jews and protestants. Somewhere east of Vienna in Hungary my ancestors settled in a German community, and around the 1880s came to NY. My great-grandfather Alfred Rith was a vaudeville actor and met my great-grandmother Tete on the road in a touring show. He and his brother went to Europe in WWI and he saw his brother blown up, and came home with TB. He lived a few sickly years, and that was it.
There are very few Riths in Germany, the sign above is from a bicycle shop near Koblenz, I think. There are just a few of us in the US, except for as I say, the Mennonite Rieths. It is a not uncommon Cambodian name, and there are a couple dozen Riths in California now, including, darnitall, a Gary Rith born in 1995. And I had been the only one on earth!

11 comments:

Abigail S said...

So sad taht you're no longer the only Gary Rith...

Hmmm... I wonder if I'm the only Abigail S*****. It's not a very common name...

Cool story- my brother, Tim, went to college and met another Tim S****. They were in the same year, had the same major, and both married Rachels. Wierd!

I think I'll go Google my name...

Anonymous said...

I am reminded suddenly of the little girl in 'Little Miss Sunshine', whose real name is Abigail. So is my sister-in-law, but definately NOT Abby, which is the name of my mom and dad's dog.

Gordo said...

I'm constantly dogged by Gordon Campbell that drunk driving premier of British Columbia. Well, I get teased a lot .. .LOL

gary rith said...

yeah, that guy is pretty famous fer sure---
my great grandparents, although German, met in Scotland where they were studying painting, and named my grandfather Donald Gordon and my dad is also. That is pretty darn Scottish too.

Gordo said...

Yup, it is. My Mom was a Gordon and Dad's a Campbell.

Abigail S said...

As far as Google is concerned, I am the only Abigail S****. Yay!

I grew up as "Abby," and my family and friends since childhool call me that still. But I now go by Abigail w/ new aquaintances, cuz it sounds more grown up.

gary rith said...

well sure, who else is gonna name their daughter 'Abigail Sneezy'?
oops, sorry, forgot that your real name is a secret

Anonymous said...

I didn't have time to find this this morning, but here's a site that tells you how many people in the US share your name. There's 29 of me down there.

Anonymous said...

I know. It has me down for zero, but somewhere else once I got the complete scoop.

Gordo said...

How depressing. There are 232 of me.

Anonymous said...

Think of the variations, you have Gord, Gordo, Grod, Gron, Drong, Dorgon.....