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

Ridenour, 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 Ridenour surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ridenour in America

Ridenour is the 4373rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ridenour surname appeared 8,130 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Ridenour.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ridenour 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 Ridenour

The surname RIDENOUR has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the old German word "reitener," which translates to "rider" or "equestrian." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with horses, such as a stable hand or a mounted soldier.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the RIDENOUR surname can be found in the archives of the city of Cologne, where a certain Johannes Ridenour was listed as a resident in the year 1482. This provides evidence that the name was already in use by that time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the RIDENOUR family appeared to have spread across various regions of Germany, with records indicating their presence in cities like Nuremberg, Frankfurt, and Hamburg. It is possible that some members of the family may have also migrated to neighboring countries, such as the Netherlands or Switzerland.

A notable historical figure bearing the RIDENOUR surname was Hanns Ridenour, a German clockmaker who lived in the city of Augsburg during the late 16th century. He is credited with creating some of the earliest mechanical clocks with intricate mechanisms, and his work was highly regarded throughout Europe.

In the 18th century, several RIDENOUR families were recorded as having settled in the American colonies, likely as part of the broader German immigration to North America during that period. One such example is Johann Ridenour, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 and later fought in the Revolutionary War.

Another notable individual with the RIDENOUR surname was Sarah Ridenour, an American pioneer who was born in 1792 in Virginia. She and her husband, William Ridenour, were among the early settlers of Ohio, establishing a homestead in what is now Fairfield County.

As the RIDENOUR family continued to spread across various parts of the United States and Canada in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, with forms like REIDENAUER and REIDENOUR appearing in some records.

Overall, the surname RIDENOUR has a rich history that can be traced back to its German origins, with various branches of the family leaving their mark across different regions and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ridenour

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

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 Ridenour 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 Ridenour 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 Ridenour was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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