Find out how popular the last name Ridder is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ridder.

Ridder, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ridder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ridder in America

Ridder is the 16171st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ridder surname appeared 1,787 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ridder.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ridder to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ridder

The surname RIDDER originated in the Netherlands, where it first appeared around the 12th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "ridder," which means "knight" or "chevalier." The name likely referred to someone who was a knight or a member of the knightly class.

In the Middle Ages, the Netherlands was a prosperous region, and the knightly class played a significant role in society. The RIDDER surname was likely bestowed upon individuals who held prestigious positions or were members of noble families.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RIDDER surname can be found in the "Register of Fiefs" (Leenregister) from the 13th century, which documented landholdings and feudal relationships. This record mentions individuals with the RIDDER surname holding lands in various parts of the Netherlands.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the RIDDER surname appeared in several historical documents and records, such as city registers, tax rolls, and legal proceedings. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Willem RIDDER (1380-1445), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Utrecht, and Dirk RIDDER (1420-1489), a respected jurist and legal scholar from Leiden.

In the 16th century, the RIDDER surname gained further prominence with the rise of the Dutch Renaissance. One notable figure was Jan RIDDER (1505-1578), a renowned painter and sculptor from Antwerp who contributed to the artistic and cultural development of the Netherlands.

The 17th century saw the RIDDER surname spread beyond the Netherlands, with individuals bearing this name migrating to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One famous bearer of this surname was Pieter RIDDER (1635-1708), a Dutch explorer and navigator who made significant contributions to the mapping of the West Indies and the Caribbean.

Throughout history, the RIDDER surname has been associated with various professions, including nobility, military service, academia, and the arts. Some other notable individuals with this surname include Adriaan RIDDER (1810-1888), a Dutch military officer and colonial administrator in the Dutch East Indies, and Dirk RIDDER (1841-1912), a respected philologist and professor of Germanic languages at the University of Leiden.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ridder

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ridder.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ridder was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ridder has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ridder was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ridder, please contact us.

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