NameCensus.

UK surname

Ridsdale

A place name derived from a valley or stream where reeds grew.

In the 1881 census there were 791 people recorded with the Ridsdale surname, ranking it #4,706 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 976, ranked #5,916, down from #4,706 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Leeds and Spofforth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochdale, Scarborough and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ridsdale is 1,231 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.4%.

1881 census count

791

Ranked #4,706

Modern count

976

2016, ranked #5,916

Peak year

1911

1,231 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ridsdale had 791 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,706 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 976 in 2016, ranked #5,916.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,231 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Ridsdale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ridsdale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ridsdale 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 510 #4,903
1861 historical 602 #4,399
1881 historical 791 #4,706
1891 historical 939 #4,410
1901 historical 1,065 #4,532
1911 historical 1,231 #3,835
1997 modern 1,000 #5,502
1998 modern 1,030 #5,542
1999 modern 1,030 #5,581
2000 modern 1,007 #5,660
2001 modern 995 #5,597
2002 modern 1,029 #5,574
2003 modern 1,021 #5,507
2004 modern 1,003 #5,585
2005 modern 969 #5,675
2006 modern 972 #5,679
2007 modern 986 #5,670
2008 modern 987 #5,710
2009 modern 997 #5,775
2010 modern 1,022 #5,780
2011 modern 986 #5,885
2012 modern 980 #5,829
2013 modern 978 #5,920
2014 modern 999 #5,860
2015 modern 985 #5,886
2016 modern 976 #5,916

Geography

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Where Ridsdales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Leeds, Spofforth, Stranton and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochdale, Scarborough, County Durham, Hartlepool and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Spofforth Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Stranton Durham
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochdale 020 Rochdale
2 Scarborough 012 Scarborough
3 County Durham 009 County Durham
4 Hartlepool 003 Hartlepool
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 006 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ridsdale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ridsdale

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ridsdale, 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 Ridsdale surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Ridsdale 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ridsdale 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

Ridsdale is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ridsdale 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 Ridsdale 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 Ridsdale, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ridsdale

The surname Ridsdale is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place called Rydsdale or Ridsdale, which was likely a valley or dale in the northern regions of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a certain "Radulfus de Ridesdale," indicating that the name was already in use during the Norman era.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Rydsdale, Ridsdale, Rydesdall, and Ridsdaile. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of individual scribes or record keepers.

Some notable individuals bearing the Ridsdale surname include:

1. Sir Ralph Ridsdale (c. 1480 - 1533), an English courtier and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII. 2. Thomas Ridsdale (1564 - 1636), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. 3. Elizabeth Ridsdale (1737 - 1808), a British landowner and philanthropist known for her charitable works in Yorkshire. 4. James Ridsdale (1809 - 1892), a prominent businessman and industrialist who established a successful textile manufacturing company in Lancashire. 5. Sir William Ridsdale (1861 - 1947), a British judge and legal scholar who served as a Lord Justice of Appeal.

The Ridsdale name has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Ridsdale in Northumberland and Ridsdale Beck in Yorkshire, further reinforcing its geographic origins.

While the surname Ridsdale is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history and significance, reflecting the diverse landscapes and cultures that have shaped the British Isles over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ridsdale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ridsdale 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 525 Ridsdales recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.91x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 525 6.91x
Durham 56 2.46x
Lancashire 47 0.52x
Middlesex 47 0.61x
Surrey 35 0.94x
Northumberland 20 1.75x
Cheshire 7 0.41x
Cumberland 7 1.06x
Kent 7 0.27x
Lincolnshire 7 0.57x
Gloucestershire 6 0.40x
Worcestershire 6 0.60x
Staffordshire 5 0.19x
Leicestershire 2 0.24x
Norfolk 2 0.17x
Sussex 2 0.15x
Hampshire 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.10x
Somerset 1 0.08x
Suffolk 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Little Ribston in Yorkshire leads with 24 Ridsdales recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
Little Ribston 24 5000.00x
Skelton In Guisbrough 21 102.19x
Kirkby Overblow 16 2285.71x
Stockton On Tees 16 14.55x
Darlington 15 17.03x
Leeds 15 3.50x
Stranton 15 19.53x
Walkington 15 583.66x
Kirby Misperton 14 1944.44x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 13 50.02x
Islington London 13 1.75x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 13 19.08x
Batley 12 16.62x
Blackburn 12 4.96x
Great Driffield 11 70.56x
Barton Le Street 10 2272.73x
Follifoot 10 769.23x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 10 52.19x
Manningham 10 10.68x
Skidby 10 1052.63x
Spofforth 10 961.54x
Bossall Claxton 9 1200.00x
Camberwell 9 1.84x
Gildersome 9 98.58x
York St Mary 9 28.60x
Barnsley 8 10.21x
Bilton In Wetherby 8 1290.32x
Copmanthorpe 8 975.61x
Kirk Deighton 8 860.22x
Rawmarsh 8 29.81x
St Martin In Fields 8 17.43x
Streatham 8 14.06x
Azerley 7 386.74x
Battersea 7 2.48x
Dewsbury 7 8.98x
Greasbrough 7 69.79x
Otley 7 37.94x
Roundhay 7 328.64x
Bengeworth 6 173.91x
Doncaster 6 10.81x
Folkestone 6 11.83x
Hartlepool 6 18.51x
Hessle In Sculcoates 6 89.42x
Newington 6 28.68x
Nocton 6 363.64x
Rainhill 6 102.92x
Scarcroft 6 789.47x
Sheriff Hutton W 6 279.07x
Shipley 6 15.22x
Thruscross 6 722.89x
Acomb 5 125.94x
Airmyn 5 381.68x
Ardwick 5 6.09x
Birkenhead 5 3.71x
Chelsea London 5 2.16x
Chiswick 5 11.94x
Eston 5 30.21x
Glassonby 5 1162.79x
Hampsthwaite 5 416.67x
Headingley Cum Burley 5 10.22x
Hutton Magna 5 1041.67x
Kirby Fleetham 5 342.47x
Kirkleatham 5 48.73x
Lepton 5 62.97x
Liverpool 5 0.90x
Oldham 5 1.70x
Pyrford 5 555.56x
South Hamlet 5 53.76x
Tockwith 5 331.13x
Bainton 4 380.95x
Beverley St Mary 4 36.04x
Bilbrough 4 769.23x
Clapham 4 4.17x
Clifford Cum Boston 4 58.57x
Friern Barnet 4 23.68x
Guisbrough 4 24.10x
Walsall Foreign 4 2.99x
Weeton 4 470.59x
West Derby 4 1.50x
Wetherby 4 80.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 64
Elizabeth 36
Sarah 23
Ann 18
Jane 17
Annie 14
Emma 14
Hannah 13
Alice 11
Edith 8
Eliza 8
Martha 8
Ellen 7
Louisa 6
Emily 5
Margaret 5
Catherine 4
Harriet 4
Harriett 4
Isabella 4
Maria 4
Rachel 4
Clara 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Grace 3
Kate 3
Laura 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Cathrine 2
Eleanor 2
Eliz. 2
Helen 2
Isabel 2
Isabell 2
Lilian 2
Lilly 2
Lucy 2
Maggie 2
Maud 2
Paulina 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Christiana 1
Elizebeth 1
Hariet 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 48
William 48
Thomas 32
George 31
Henry 22
James 21
Charles 15
Richard 13
Robert 12
Joseph 11
Alfred 10
Arthur 10
Tom 6
Walter 6
Fred 5
Herbert 5
Matthew 5
Samuel 5
Chas. 4
Frederick 4
Geo. 4
Wm. 4
Benjamin 3
David 3
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Frank 3
Austin 2
Earnest 2
Edgar 2
Fred. 2
Harold 2
Jno. 2
Mark 2
Peter 2
Thos. 2
Willie 2
Alexander 1
Annie 1
Anthony 1
Charle 1
Elijah 1
England 1
Eustage 1
Everett 1
Jessie 1
Joe 1
Jos. 1
Young 1

FAQ

Ridsdale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ridsdale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 791 people were recorded with the Ridsdale surname. That placed it at #4,706 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ridsdale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 976 in 2016. That gives Ridsdale a modern rank of #5,916.

What does the Ridsdale surname mean?

A place name derived from a valley or stream where reeds grew.

What does the Ridsdale map show?

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