2000
#7,860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,903
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Rideout
An occupational surname for a mounted forest ranger or an outrider.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,446 Americans carry the last name Rideout. That puts it at #8,184 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,093 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rideout 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 Rideout with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,093
Census rank
#8,184
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,877 bearers of the surname Rideout in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8184th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rideout, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rideout
The surname Rideout has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ridan" meaning "to ride" and "ut" meaning "out," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a rider or messenger who traveled outside of a particular area.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a Henry Rideout is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from the same period, indicating that it was present in different parts of England during that time.
In the 14th century, the Rideout surname emerged in various spellings, such as Rideout, Rydout, and Ridout. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation that were common before standardized spelling became more widespread.
Notably, the Rideout name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name may have originated even earlier, potentially tracing its roots back to the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Rideout surname. One such figure was Sir Walter Rideout (c. 1485-1552), an English landowner and Member of Parliament who served during the reign of Henry VIII. Another was Thomas Rideout (1594-1677), a Puritan minister who immigrated to New England and became one of the founders of the town of Yarmouth, Massachusetts.
In the 18th century, John Rideout (1737-1816) was a prominent merchant and shipowner from Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, playing a significant role in the development of maritime trade in the region. Later, in the 19th century, Samuel Rideout (1835-1909) gained recognition as a successful businessman and philanthropist in Calais, Maine.
Beyond these historical figures, the Rideout name has also been associated with various place names. For example, Rideout's Cove in Nova Scotia and Rideout's Hill in Maine are likely named after individuals bearing this surname who lived or owned land in those areas.
While the Rideout surname may have evolved from humble beginnings associated with messengers or riders, its enduring presence in historical records and its association with notable individuals and places underscores its significant impact on the cultural tapestry of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rideout
Among Census respondents with the surname Rideout, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rideout 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 Rideout surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.1% · 2,834
- Black or African American18.0% · 696
- Two or more races5.2% · 202
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 96
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rideout
Rideout 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
#8,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,986
+83 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 453 places
2020
#8,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,877
-109 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Up 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,860 | 3,903 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,313 | 3,986 | 1.35 | +83 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 453 places |
| 2020 | #8,184 | 3,877 | 1.30 | -109 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 129 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 Rideout 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 | #8,313 | #8,184 | 1.6% |
| Count | 3,986 | 3,877 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.30 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rideout bearers went from 3,986 to 3,877 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,313 to #8,184.
FAQ
Rideout surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rideout?
Name Census estimates that about 4,446 living Americans carry the surname Rideout. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,093 residents.
How common is Rideout?
Rideout ranks #8,184 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,877 people with the surname Rideout. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,446), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rideout.
Has Rideout become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rideout went from 3,986 recorded bearers to 3,877. That is a decrease of 109 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,313 to #8,184.
What does the Census say about the background of Rideout?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rideout, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.1%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Rideout in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.1% (2,834 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rideout appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.1%), Black (18.0%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Rideout (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 Rideout mean?
An occupational surname for a mounted forest ranger or an outrider. 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 Rideout (1.30 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 people share the surname Rideout?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.