NameCensus.

UK surname

Ridge

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a long, narrow elevated section of land.

In the 1881 census there were 2,097 people recorded with the Ridge surname, ranking it #2,106 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,530, ranked #2,615, down from #2,106 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, London parishes and Brighton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Somerset, Stoke-on-Trent and South Hams.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ridge is 2,924 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.6%.

1881 census count

2,097

Ranked #2,106

Modern count

2,530

2016, ranked #2,615

Peak year

1911

2,924 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ridge had 2,097 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,106 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,530 in 2016, ranked #2,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,924 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ridge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ridge surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ridge 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 1,449 #1,987
1861 historical 1,542 #1,844
1881 historical 2,097 #2,106
1891 historical 2,359 #1,988
1901 historical 2,597 #2,114
1911 historical 2,924 #1,782
1997 modern 2,611 #2,434
1998 modern 2,767 #2,399
1999 modern 2,772 #2,409
2000 modern 2,721 #2,436
2001 modern 2,656 #2,445
2002 modern 2,708 #2,448
2003 modern 2,605 #2,477
2004 modern 2,616 #2,477
2005 modern 2,540 #2,511
2006 modern 2,524 #2,527
2007 modern 2,509 #2,559
2008 modern 2,524 #2,568
2009 modern 2,553 #2,600
2010 modern 2,601 #2,605
2011 modern 2,622 #2,557
2012 modern 2,568 #2,560
2013 modern 2,604 #2,572
2014 modern 2,617 #2,574
2015 modern 2,553 #2,604
2016 modern 2,530 #2,615

Geography

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Where Ridges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton, London parishes, Brighton and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Somerset, Stoke-on-Trent, South Hams, Pembrokeshire and Wakefield. 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 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 Brighton Sussex
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Somerset 011 North Somerset
2 Stoke-on-Trent 031 Stoke-on-Trent
3 South Hams 005 South Hams
4 Pembrokeshire 007 Pembrokeshire
5 Wakefield 015 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ridge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ridge

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ridge, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Ridge surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ridge household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ridge is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ridge is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ridge falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ridge is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Ridge

The surname Ridge originated in England and has its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old English word 'hrycg,' meaning 'ridge' or 'hill,' and would have initially been used as a topographic surname to describe someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hill.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Ridge can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'de la Rigge.' This suggests that the name was already well-established in certain regions of England by the late 11th century.

Over time, the surname evolved into various spellings, such as Rigge, Rygge, and eventually Ridge. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling at the time, and regional dialects played a role in how the name was recorded.

One notable early bearer of the surname was Sir John Ridge, a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the late 14th century. Another prominent individual was William Ridge, who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1480.

In the 16th century, the Ridge family had a strong presence in the county of Dorset, where they held lands and estates. Thomas Ridge, born in 1583, was a notable figure from this branch of the family, serving as a Member of Parliament for Dorset during the English Civil War.

The surname also has ties to various place names, such as Ridge Hill in Hertfordshire and Ridge Farm in Shropshire. These locations likely derived their names from the topographic features associated with the word 'ridge,' further solidifying the connection between the surname and its geographic origins.

As the centuries progressed, the Ridge surname spread across England and beyond. Prominent individuals bearing the name include Sir John Ridge (1763-1831), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Thomas Ridge (1821-1868), an American politician and lawyer who served as the governor of Pennsylvania.

William Pett Ridge (1859-1930) was a notable English novelist and author of numerous works, including the popular novel "Mrs. Galer's Business." Another notable figure was Claude Ridges (1888-1962), a British actor and film director who appeared in several silent films and early "talkies" in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ridge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ridge 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. Yorkshire leads with 338 Ridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.67x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 338 1.67x
Devon 250 5.88x
Lancashire 215 0.89x
Staffordshire 204 2.96x
Middlesex 145 0.71x
Surrey 121 1.22x
Kent 86 1.23x
Montgomeryshire 65 13.88x
Somerset 64 1.95x
Cornwall 58 2.51x
Berkshire 52 3.39x
Sussex 52 1.51x
Warwickshire 51 0.99x
Nottinghamshire 48 1.74x
Shropshire 41 2.32x
Durham 26 0.43x
Gloucestershire 24 0.60x
Oxfordshire 20 1.58x
Monmouthshire 19 1.29x
Buckinghamshire 16 1.30x
Hampshire 16 0.38x
Cheshire 15 0.33x
Caernarfonshire 14 1.69x
Bedfordshire 13 1.23x
Cumberland 13 0.74x
Derbyshire 13 0.41x
Northumberland 13 0.43x
Northamptonshire 11 0.57x
Glamorgan 10 0.28x
Lincolnshire 9 0.28x
Westmorland 8 1.78x
Pembrokeshire 7 1.08x
Worcestershire 7 0.26x
Cardiganshire 6 1.20x
Dorset 6 0.45x
Lanarkshire 6 0.09x
Leicestershire 5 0.22x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.99x
Merionethshire 4 1.07x
Wiltshire 4 0.22x
Essex 3 0.07x
Isle of Man 3 0.79x
Argyllshire 2 0.35x
Denbighshire 2 0.26x
Norfolk 2 0.06x
Brecknockshire 1 0.24x
Fife 1 0.08x
Hertfordshire 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 77 Ridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.53x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 77 10.53x
Ecclesfield 76 51.18x
Brighton 40 5.75x
Barnstaple 37 55.41x
Brightside Bierlow 37 9.32x
Llanfair Caereinion 31 193.87x
Ecclesall Bierlow 30 7.28x
Croydon 29 5.25x
Fremington 27 312.50x
Aston 26 1.83x
Trentham 26 44.32x
Nether Hallam 25 9.12x
Abingdon St Helen 24 53.51x
Lambeth 23 1.29x
Stone 23 26.07x
Islington London 20 1.01x
Chelsea London 19 3.09x
Deptford St Paul 19 3.53x
Rochester St Nicholas 19 87.60x
Camberwell 18 1.38x
Taunton St Mary 18 29.81x
Caverswall 17 47.41x
Newark Upon Trent 17 17.17x
St Pancras London 17 1.03x
Barrow In Furness 16 4.85x
Habergham Eaves 16 7.22x
St Woollos 16 9.70x
Birmingham 15 0.87x
Bradford 15 13.21x
Livesey 15 35.24x
Luxulyan 15 194.81x
Accrington 14 6.35x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 5.32x
Hulme 14 2.77x
Bedminster 13 4.21x
Burslem 13 6.58x
Cheadle 13 39.24x
Exeter St Sidwell 13 13.34x
Over Darwen 13 6.71x
Paddington London 13 1.73x
Preston 13 2.00x
Rochester St Margaret 13 17.68x
Everton 12 1.55x
Heeley 12 19.50x
Ilfracombe 12 27.40x
Plumstead 12 5.16x
Sheffield 12 1.86x
Tawstock 11 145.50x
Wolverhampton 11 2.07x
Clifton 10 4.94x
Coulsdon 10 55.25x
Meifod 10 89.93x
Shelve 10 934.58x
Withycombe Rawleigh 10 45.13x
Workington 10 9.93x
Bedford St Paul 9 12.40x
Kentisbury 9 368.85x
Kirkdale 9 2.21x
Knottingley 9 25.29x
Llandysilio 9 210.28x
Lynton 9 106.01x
Norwell 9 312.50x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 2.75x
South Muskham 9 526.32x
Wakefield 9 5.79x
Westleigh 9 16.34x
Wickersley 9 160.71x
East Stonehouse 8 9.55x
Enfield 8 5.97x
Hornsey 8 3.10x
Liverpool 8 0.54x
Longworth 8 191.85x
Milton Damerel 8 240.24x
Newington 8 1.06x
North Petherton 8 30.15x
Thornaby 8 10.57x
Kenwyn 7 11.57x
Petrockstow 7 196.08x
Whittlebury 7 202.31x
Worthen Hope 7 187.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 153
Elizabeth 76
Sarah 75
Ann 59
Jane 41
Ellen 40
Annie 34
Alice 32
Eliza 32
Emma 29
Margaret 23
Emily 22
Martha 22
Florence 20
Hannah 19
Harriet 18
Anne 14
Frances 13
Catherine 12
Maria 12
Louisa 11
Ada 9
Caroline 9
Charlotte 9
Jessie 9
Lucy 9
Amelia 8
Fanny 8
Agnes 7
Grace 7
Matilda 7
Amy 6
Edith 6
Harriett 6
Julia 6
Kate 6
Laura 6
Beatrice 5
Gertrude 5
Susan 5
Elizth. 4
Ethel 4
Marian 4
Bessie 3
Esther 3
Eva 3
Henrietta 3
Lydia 3
Miriam 3
Rebecca 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 122
William 121
Thomas 76
James 67
George 60
Charles 42
Henry 34
Joseph 29
Arthur 27
Robert 26
Edward 24
Samuel 24
Alfred 17
Walter 17
Richard 16
David 14
Albert 13
Frederick 13
Herbert 13
Benjamin 10
Frank 10
Ernest 9
Francis 8
Harry 8
Edwin 7
Wm. 7
Patrick 6
Earnest 5
Fred 5
Percy 5
Tom 5
Christopher 4
Isaiah 4
Leonard 4
Martin 4
Thos. 4
Chas. 3
Daniel 3
Fredrick 3
Gilbert 3
Isaac 3
Matthew 3
Michael 3
Phillip 3
Robt. 3
Stephen 3
Allen 2
Enoch 2
Felix 2
Peter 2

FAQ

Ridge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ridge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,097 people were recorded with the Ridge surname. That placed it at #2,106 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ridge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,530 in 2016. That gives Ridge a modern rank of #2,615.

What does the Ridge surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a long, narrow elevated section of land.

What does the Ridge map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ridge 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.