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Ridley Family History

Ridley Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places called Ridley (Cheshire Kent Northumberland) or Ridley Hall in Terling (Essex). The Cheshire Kent and Northumberland placenames probably derive from Old English (ge)ryd(d) ‘cleared’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. The Essex placename may derive from Old English rēad ‘red’ + lēah. A Northumberland family of this name included Bishop Nicholas Ridley who was burned at the stake in 1555 for refusing to recant his Protestant beliefs. Possibly also an altered form of Swiss German Riedle or Riedler (see Ridler ).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Riley, Ripley, Radley, Ridler, Gidley, Risley, Willey, Grindley, Iley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Ridley family from?

You can see how Ridley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ridley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ridley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 38 Ridley families living in Maine. This was about 31% of all the recorded Ridley's in USA. Maine had the highest population of Ridley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ridley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Ridley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Ridley. 25% of Ridley men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Ridley women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ridley were Truck Driver and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Ridley | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    25%
  • Farmer
    16%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    10%
  • Laundress
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Teacher
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Ridley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 162,000 census records available for the last name Ridley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ridley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Ridley

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Ridley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Ridley. For the veterans among your Ridley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Ridley lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Ridley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1940. The average life expectancy for Ridley in 1940 was 100, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ridley

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