2000
#2,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,099
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.11
Uncommon Last name
Ridley
From the Old English elements "hreod" (reed) and "leah" (clearing or meadow), referring to someone living near a reed-filled clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,023 Americans carry the last name Ridley. That puts it at #3,089 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,319 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ridley 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 Ridley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,319
Census rank
#3,089
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,357 bearers of the surname Ridley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3089th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ridley, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.2%. The next largest groups are Black (39.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ridley
The surname Ridley is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "ryge" meaning rye and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. It likely referred to someone who lived near a rye field or meadow.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century in counties such as Northumberland and Durham. It was also found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, an ancient census document from the reign of King Edward I.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England compiled for William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with similar names like Rigeleie and Rigeleia, which may have been the origin of some Ridley surnames.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Nicholas de Ridley, a landowner in Northumberland who was mentioned in records from 1249. Another early example is Ralph de Rydeley, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301.
Notable individuals with the surname Ridley include Nicholas Ridley (c. 1500-1555), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Mary I. Matthew Ridley (1607-1672) was an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.
Other famous Ridleys include Nicholas Ridley (1619-1674), an English playwright and poet, and James Ridley (1736-1765), an English naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War. Humphry Ridley (1653-1708) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
The surname Ridley is still relatively common in parts of England, particularly in the north-east regions where it originated. It has also spread to other English-speaking countries through emigration over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ridley
Among Census respondents with the surname Ridley, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.2%. The next largest groups are Black (39.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ridley 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 Ridley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.2% · 5,591
- Black or African American39.9% · 4,526
- Two or more races5.7% · 643
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 358
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 159
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 80
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ridley
Ridley 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
#3,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,521
+422 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 3.91
Rank movement Down 146 places
2020
#3,089
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,357
-164 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 3.80
Rank movement Up 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,987 | 11,099 | 4.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,133 | 11,521 | 3.91 | +422 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 146 places |
| 2020 | #3,089 | 11,357 | 3.80 | -164 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 44 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 Ridley 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 | #3,133 | #3,089 | 1.4% |
| Count | 11,521 | 11,357 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.91 | 3.80 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ridley bearers went from 11,521 to 11,357 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,133 to #3,089.
FAQ
Ridley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ridley?
Name Census estimates that about 13,023 living Americans carry the surname Ridley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,319 residents.
How common is Ridley?
Ridley ranks #3,089 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,357 people with the surname Ridley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,023), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Ridley.
Has Ridley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ridley went from 11,521 recorded bearers to 11,357. That is a decrease of 164 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,133 to #3,089.
What does the Census say about the background of Ridley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ridley, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.2%. The next largest groups are Black (39.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Ridley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.2% (5,591 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ridley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.2%), Black (39.9%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Ridley (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 Ridley mean?
From the Old English elements "hreod" (reed) and "leah" (clearing or meadow), referring to someone living near a reed-filled clearing. 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 Ridley (3.80 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 common is the surname Ridley?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Ridley at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.