Ridley Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Ridley Name Meaning: An Anglo-Saxon name meaning 'rye field', 'rye meadow' or 'rye clearing'.

An occupational surname which would be given to anyone associated with the clearing of rye, also an adaptation of the Irish name 'Reilly' which is a shortening of an old Irish name.

Discover how your Ridley ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Ridley Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Ridley family

Profession Census Frequency
Female Servant 121
Agricultural Labourer 108
Independent 85
Farmer 63
Labourer 47
Male Servant 36
Shoe Maker 18
Coal Miner 18
Laundress 15
Clerk 14
Carpenter 14
Blacksmith 13
Lead Miner 13
Mason 12
Mariner 11
Tailor 11
Pupil 11
Weaver 10
Butcher 10
Joiner 9
Merchant 9
Shipwright 9
Collier 8
Pitman 8
Painter 8

Ridley Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Ridley 100% 40,486
2 Radley 83% 13,017
3 Eardley 57% 7,320
4 Ardley 67% 3,059
5 Redley 83% 2,647
6 Rodley 83% 2,200
7 Roadley 71% 933
8 Rudley 83% 445
9 Riddley 86% 330
10 Ridly 83% 270
11 Roadly 50% 205
12 Readley 71% 192
13 Radly 67% 176
14 Eardly 33% 145

Did you know?

The surname Ridley is the most popular version of all its varients

Search for the Ridley family