Rydge
An English unisex name of unknown origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 181 living Americans carry the first name Rydge. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rydge today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rydge births was 2014 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rydge. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
181
~ 1 in 1,893,670 Americans
Peak year
2014
15 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,153
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Rydge: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rydge from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 97 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rydge remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rydge by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rydge during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rydge
The name Rydge is believed to have originated from the Old English word "rydding," which means a clearing or a small area of land that has been cleared of trees and vegetation. This name likely emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, between the 5th and 11th centuries AD.
The earliest recorded use of the name Rydge dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various medieval records and documents. It was primarily used as a surname, often referring to individuals who lived or worked in areas that had been recently cleared for settlement or agriculture.
In terms of historical references, the name Rydge is not widely found in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, it may have been used as a locational surname or a descriptor for individuals living in or near a cleared area.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Rydge was William Rydge, who lived in the late 13th century in Cheshire, England. Another notable figure was John Rydge, a landowner and farmer from Oxfordshire, England, who lived in the 15th century.
During the 17th century, a man named Thomas Rydge gained recognition as a prominent merchant and trader in London. He was born in 1621 and lived until 1693.
In the 19th century, a British explorer and naturalist named Walter Rydge (1820-1892) made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in Australia and New Zealand.
Another individual with the name Rydge was Charles Rydge (1867-1942), a successful businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Rydge's chain of movie theaters in Australia.
While the name Rydge may have originated as a surname, it has also been used as a given name, particularly in English-speaking countries. However, it remains a relatively uncommon first name throughout history.
People
Rydge + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rydge as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rydge: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rydge?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 181 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rydge going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,893,670 US residents.
Is Rydge a common name?
We classify Rydge as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 182 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rydge most popular?
The single biggest year for Rydge was 2014, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rydge is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rydge a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rydge in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.