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

Ridges, 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 Ridges surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ridges in America

Ridges is the 52267th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ridges surname appeared 397 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ridges.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ridges 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 Ridges

The surname RIDGES is of English origin, originating in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "hrycg," meaning "ridge" or "long, narrow hill." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone living near or on a ridge.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Rigge" and "Rugge." These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

During the Middle Ages, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire in the West Midlands region of England. This area is known for its rolling hills and ridges, which may have contributed to the surname's origin.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "de la Rugge" and "atte Rugge," indicating that some individuals were identified by their association with a specific ridge or location.

One notable early bearer of the name was William Rugge, a 14th-century English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1370 to 1381.

In the 16th century, the surname began to take on its modern spelling of "RIDGES." John RIDGES (c. 1522-1579) was a prominent English Protestant reformer and Bishop of Rochester during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert RIDGES (1574-1645), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the early 17th century.

During the 18th century, the surname was also found in Scotland, where it appeared as "Ridgis" and "Ridges." One notable Scottish bearer was James RIDGES (1736-1805), a Scottish minister and author.

In the 19th century, the name continued to be found in England and Scotland, with individuals such as William RIDGES (1819-1892), an English painter and engraver, and Alexander Crum RIDGES (1835-1881), a Scottish civil engineer and inventor.

Throughout its history, the surname RIDGES has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ridges

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

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

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

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