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

Ridgway, 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 Ridgway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ridgway in America

Ridgway is the 6291st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ridgway surname appeared 5,429 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Ridgway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ridgway 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 Ridgway

The surname Ridgway is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a ridge or track along a high ground. This topographical name emerged in the medieval period, around the 12th century, as the practice of adopting hereditary surnames became more widespread in England.

The earliest recorded instances of the Ridgway surname can be found in various medieval documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, which mentions William de Rughweye, and the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301, listing a Thomas de Ruggeway. These early spellings, including Rughweye, Ruggeway, and Ruggewey, reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

One notable historical figure bearing the Ridgway surname was Sir Thomas Ridgway (c. 1565-1624), an English politician and landowner who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1612. He was knighted by King James I in 1603 and played a significant role in the governance of the City of London during his tenure.

Another prominent individual was Robert Ridgway (1808-1857), an American ornithologist and curator at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. He made significant contributions to the study of birds, particularly through his work on the "Ornithology of North America" series, published between 1887 and 1919.

In the 18th century, John Ridgway (1730-1803) was a renowned English potter and entrepreneur who founded the Ridgway Pottery in Staffordshire, England. His company became renowned for producing high-quality ceramics and contributed to the growth of the pottery industry in the region.

The Ridgway name also appears in historical records related to the American Revolutionary War. Matthew Ridgway (1720-1795) was a soldier and statesman from Maryland who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as a member of the Maryland Senate.

Another notable figure was Matthew Bunker Ridgway (1895-1993), a highly decorated American military officer who served during World War II and the Korean War. He was awarded numerous honors, including the Distinguished Service Cross and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his leadership and strategic brilliance.

The Ridgway surname has been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Ridgeway in Derbyshire, Ridgeway Hill in Staffordshire, and Ridgeway Lane in Essex, among others. These place names likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname across different regions of the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ridgway

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

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

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

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