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

Ridings, 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 Ridings surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ridings in America

Ridings is the 10107th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ridings surname appeared 3,187 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 Ridings.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ridings 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 Ridings

The surname Ridings has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "riding," which referred to a specific administrative division or district, particularly within the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire. These ridings were historically used for administrative purposes and were often divided into smaller units called wapentakes or hundreds.

The name Ridings is believed to have originated as a locational surname, indicating that the bearer or their ancestors hailed from a specific riding or district. This practice of adopting surnames based on geographic locations was common during the Middle Ages as a means of identifying individuals and establishing familial connections.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ridings can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1176, where a certain Willelmus de Rydding is mentioned. This reference suggests that the name was already in use in the 12th century and may have been associated with a particular place called Rydding, possibly a corruption of the word "riding."

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a John de Rydinges, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the administrative divisions of ridings. This document served as a survey of landholdings and property rights in various counties of England.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Ridings. One such figure was Sir Thomas Ridings (c. 1530-1590), a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1589-1590. Another notable bearer of this surname was John Ridings (1776-1858), an English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings and illustrations.

Other notable individuals include:

1. William Ridings (1821-1892), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the mid-19th century.
2. Joseph Ridings (1812-1886), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Liverpool and the surrounding areas.
3. Ann Ridings (1762-1835), an English writer and poet who published works such as "The Poetical Remains of the Late Mrs. Ann Ridings" in 1826.
4. Henry Ridings (1690-1758), an English clergyman and author who wrote "The History of the Church of England" among other works.
5. Robert Ridings (1819-1899), a British industrialist and engineer who owned several coal mines and was involved in the early development of steam engines.

The surname Ridings has a rich history deeply rooted in the administrative divisions and geographic regions of medieval England. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "riding," and it has been associated with various notable individuals throughout the centuries, spanning fields such as politics, arts, literature, and industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ridings

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

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

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

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