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

Ridl, 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 Ridl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ridl in America

Ridl is the 63873rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ridl surname appeared 312 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 Ridl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ridl 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 Ridl

The surname Ridl originated in Germany during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old German word "ridil," meaning "riddle" or "puzzle." The name likely referred to someone who was skilled at solving riddles or puzzles, or perhaps someone who spoke in riddles or parables.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Ridl can be found in various German records and documents from the 14th and 15th centuries. For example, a Hans Ridl was mentioned in a tax record from the city of Nuremberg in 1387. Another notable early reference is a Johann Ridl, who was a merchant in the town of Augsburg in the late 15th century.

As the name spread across Germany, it took on various regional spellings and variations, such as Ridel, Riddle, and Riddel. Some of these variations were later adopted by families who migrated to other parts of Europe or to the Americas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England can be found in the form of John Riddle, who was born in Yorkshire in 1568. He was a noted scholar and theologian who attended Oxford University and later became a vicar in the Church of England.

Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Christoph Ridl (1679-1743), a German composer and organist who was born in Nuremberg. He is known for his contributions to the development of the Baroque style of music.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Ridl was Gustav Ridl (1828-1904), an Austrian painter and illustrator who was known for his intricate depictions of historical scenes and landscapes.

Other notable individuals with the surname Ridl include:

1. Wilhelm Ridl (1836-1917), a German-American engineer and inventor who specialized in steam engines and boilers.
2. Marie Ridl (1886-1975), a Czech opera singer and soprano who performed in various opera houses across Europe.
3. Hans Ridl (1906-1987), an Austrian mountaineer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Himalayas and Karakoram ranges.
4. Eva Ridl (1920-2003), a German-born American artist and sculptor known for her abstract metal sculptures.
5. Michael Ridl (born 1970), a German-born American author and academic who has written extensively on the history and culture of central Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ridl

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

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

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

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