Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Ridre, Rie 1086 DB

• Rider(a) c.1150 Fabr 1205 ChR

• Ria, Rie 1166–79 YChvi 1212 FF

• Rye 1269 Ebor

• Riha 1175–89 YCh1646

• Rither, Ryther 1257 Ch 1276 RH 1283–1286 Ebor 1285 KI 1291 Tax 1293 QW 1293 YI 1298 Abbr 1641 Rates

• Rythir 1379 PT

• Rith(e)re, Ryth(e)re 1275 Ebor 1278 YI 1287 Abbr 1344 Baild

• Rider 1555 FF 1571 WillY 1600 PRSxt

Etymology

Although this could formally be from OE  hrīðer 'ox' and ēa 'river' as Ekwall (DEPN s.n.) suggests, it is unlikely as the implied loss of the second el. would be unusual; ēa is normally kept in YW (as ME  -ee , -a and -ey ). It is therefore from the postulated OE  ryðer 'clearing' (from OE  roð 'clearing' with the suffix -er ), which is thought to occur in the unmutated form roðer in Fenrother Nb 84.The early spellings with loss of -re and of -th - are AN (cf. IPN 108, 109) and the later ones with medial -d - are due to dial. interchange of -th - and -d - in the presence of -r - (cf. Phonol. § 41).