# Ridley (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/ridley/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from Old English.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 11,521 |
| US rank (2010) | 3,133 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 26,799 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.8% (11,099 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹɪdli/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Place names in England, Old English hrēad (“reeds”) or rydde (“cleared land”) + lēah (“wood, clearing”). Thus, equivalent to reed or rid + -ley (“lea”).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Ridley in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 51% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 42% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.1% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.5% |
| Two or more races | 3.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Ridley in the United Kingdom, the United States and the Kingdom of England.

## People named Ridley

- Matt Ridley, British author and journalist
- Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London; Anglican Saint
- John Ridley, American writer and director
- Philip Ridley, British artist and author
- Calvin Ridley, American football player

## Similar surnames

Riddle, Riedel, Riddell, Radley, Riedl, Rothwell, Rotella, Rodela, Radel, Rotolo, Ruddell, Ratley.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.