Save Gender Masculine Usage English (Modern) Pronounced Pron. /ˈɹaɪ.dəɹ/ [key·simplify] Other Forms FormsRyder Meaning & History From a surname that was a variant of Ryder. This name was borne by the British novelist Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1856-1925), generally known as H. Rider Haggard or Rider Haggard.