Family name origins & meanings
- Americanized spelling of German Rittinghaus, a habitational name from a farm near Altena, Westphalia.
- William Rittenhouse (1644–1708) was the first Mennonite preacher in North America. He was born in Rhenish, Prussia and worked as a papermaker in Amsterdam, emigrating to PA in 1688 and establishing the first paper mill in America.