2000
#6,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,885
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.81
Rare Last name
Riddell
A Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Riddell in Roxburghshire, likely meaning "reed dale" or "cleared valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,391 Americans carry the last name Riddell. That puts it at #6,885 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,579 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riddell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Riddell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,579
Census rank
#6,885
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,701 bearers of the surname Riddell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6885th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riddell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riddell
The surname Riddell has its origins in the region of Roxburghshire, Scotland, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "ryd" meaning a clearing or an open space, and "dael," meaning a dale or valley. This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a family residing in a clearing or valley area.
The earliest known record of the name appears in the 12th century, when a person named Radulphus de Ryddale was mentioned in a charter granted by David I, King of Scots, in 1147. This charter pertained to lands in the area of Lilliesleaf, which is situated in the region of Roxburghshire.
In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as Ryddale and Rydel, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time. One notable figure from this era was Walter Rydale, who was a witness to a charter granted by Alexander III, King of Scots, in 1265.
As time progressed, the spelling of the name evolved further, with variations such as Riddale, Riddail, and eventually Riddell becoming more prevalent. In the 16th century, a Sir Walter Riddell was appointed as the Keeper of the Privy Seal by King James VI of Scotland in 1592.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Sir John Riddell (1785-1862), a Scottish antiquarian and writer. He was known for his work on Scottish peerage law and his contributions to the study of Scottish history and antiquities.
The Riddell family also had connections to various places in Scotland, such as the lands of Riddell and the Riddell Baronetcy, which was created in 1628 for Walter Riddell of Riddell. The family's ancestral seat was the Riddell Castle, located in the Scottish Borders region.
Other notable figures with the Riddell surname include James Riddell (1798-1866), a Scottish minister and author, and Robert Riddell (1755-1794), a Scottish poet and writer who was a friend of Robert Burns.
Throughout its history, the Riddell surname has maintained a strong presence in Scotland, particularly in the Borders region, where it originated and where many members of the family have made significant contributions to various fields, including literature, law, and the preservation of Scottish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riddell
Among Census respondents with the surname Riddell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Riddell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Riddell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 4,227
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 182
- Two or more races3.3% · 153
- Black or African American2.0% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riddell
Riddell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,236
+351 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 66 places
2020
#6,885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,701
-535 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 401 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,418 | 4,885 | 1.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,484 | 5,236 | 1.78 | +351 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 66 places |
| 2020 | #6,885 | 4,701 | 1.57 | -535 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 401 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Riddell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,484 | #6,885 | -6.2% |
| Count | 5,236 | 4,701 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.78 | 1.57 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riddell bearers went from 5,236 to 4,701 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 401 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,484 to #6,885.
FAQ
Riddell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riddell?
Name Census estimates that about 5,391 living Americans carry the surname Riddell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,579 residents.
How common is Riddell?
Riddell ranks #6,885 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,701 people with the surname Riddell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,391), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Riddell.
Has Riddell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riddell went from 5,236 recorded bearers to 4,701. That is a decrease of 535 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,484 to #6,885.
What does the Census say about the background of Riddell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riddell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Riddell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (4,227 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riddell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Riddell (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Riddell mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Riddell in Roxburghshire, likely meaning "reed dale" or "cleared valley." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Riddell (1.57 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Riddell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.