Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Runeon hill(e)s 1589 ExchKR 1601 Survey

• Rinyonhill(s) 1590,1596 Border

• Rinnion hills 1596 ib

• Ronion, Ronyon, Ronions Hilles 1603 Gilsland

• Ringan Hills 1682 Whitehead

• Ringinghills 1729 PR(Laner)

Etymology

This is perhaps the plural of a word corresponding to Welsh  rhynn 'headland' or 'long ridge inland,' as in Cornish run , 'hill.' When the name became incomprehensible, 'hill' was added and the first element was probably identified with Rinion (a variant of Ninian), a christian name common in this area—cf. Rinion Foster 1615 Naworth, Rinyan Michaelson 1668 PR (Laner).