NameCensus.

UK surname

Ridden

In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Ridden surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 203, ranked #19,396, up from #22,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Coleshill, Gateshead and Dover St James, Dover St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ridden is 233 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 150.6%.

1881 census count

81

Ranked #22,082

Modern count

203

2016, ranked #19,396

Peak year

2004

233 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ridden had 81 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016, ranked #19,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 132 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Ridden surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ridden surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ridden surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ridden over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 75 #20,268
1861 historical 85 #22,922
1881 historical 81 #22,082
1891 historical 91 #25,239
1901 historical 132 #19,469
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 207 #17,267
1998 modern 211 #17,532
1999 modern 210 #17,712
2000 modern 215 #17,388
2001 modern 208 #17,513
2002 modern 213 #17,603
2003 modern 213 #17,395
2004 modern 233 #16,471
2005 modern 221 #17,028
2006 modern 217 #17,349
2007 modern 221 #17,343
2008 modern 215 #17,809
2009 modern 210 #18,426
2010 modern 226 #17,942
2011 modern 210 #18,677
2012 modern 202 #19,084
2013 modern 213 #18,743
2014 modern 214 #18,825
2015 modern 211 #18,906
2016 modern 203 #19,396

Geography

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Where Riddens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Coleshill, Gateshead, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Hythe St Leonard, Cheriton, Newington, Saltwood, West Hythe, Burmarsh and Stranton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool and Gateshead. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Coleshill Warwickshire
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
4 Hythe St Leonard, Cheriton, Newington, Saltwood, West Hythe, Burmarsh Kent
5 Stranton Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
2 Hartlepool 007 Hartlepool
3 Hartlepool 012 Hartlepool
4 Gateshead 014 Gateshead
5 Hartlepool 005 Hartlepool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ridden

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ridden surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ridden

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ridden, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Ridden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Ridden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Ridden is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ridden is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ridden falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ridden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ridden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Ridden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ridden surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 24 Riddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.90x.

County Total Index
Kent 24 8.90x
Durham 19 8.08x
Middlesex 12 1.52x
Essex 10 6.41x
Warwickshire 6 3.01x
Lancashire 3 0.32x
Sussex 3 2.25x
Yorkshire 2 0.26x
Midlothian 1 0.95x
Worcestershire 1 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 10 Riddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.82x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 10 56.82x
Chatham 9 121.46x
Stranton 9 113.78x
Westminster St James 8 98.52x
Mersham 6 3000.00x
West Ham 6 17.43x
East Ham 4 138.41x
Folkestone 4 76.48x
Birmingham 3 4.52x
Willesden 3 40.27x
Worth 3 309.28x
Ansley 2 869.57x
Poulton Le Fylde 2 606.06x
Saltwood 2 1052.63x
Sheffield 2 8.03x
Canterbury St Mary N 1 555.56x
Coleshill 1 156.25x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 46.73x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 2.35x
Hawn 1 526.32x
Hougham 1 62.50x
Huyton With Roby 1 90.91x
Kensington London 1 2.28x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ridden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Caroline 3
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Hannah 2
Harriett 2
Aida 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Issabella 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Nannie 1
Silva 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ridden surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 4
Henry 4
John 4
William 4
Charles 3
James 3
Richard 2
Willm. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Ambrose 1
Benjamin 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Ridden households.

FAQ

Ridden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ridden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Ridden surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ridden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 203 in 2016. That gives Ridden a modern rank of #19,396.

What does the Ridden map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ridden bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.