Ridley
Ridley is a surname and given name that originated from locations in Cheshire, Kent, Northumberland, and Essex counties in England. The name derives from Old English, either hrēod (reeds) + lēah, or rydde + lēah.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Ridley
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ridley is a surname and given name that originated from locations in Cheshire, Kent, Northumberland, and Essex counties in England. The name derives from Old English, either hrēod (reeds) + lēah, or rydde + lēah.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Ridley
As a girl name
Ridley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2002, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 124 Ridleys were born — ranking #1,677 that year. As of 2026, Ridley ranks #1,894 for girls with 106 births, holding steady (+3%). In total, more than 1K Ridleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Ridley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1915, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 92 Ridleys were born — ranking #1,748 that year. As of 2026, Ridley ranks #2,321 for boys with 62 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 2K Ridleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Ridley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ridley is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ridley
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About the name Ridley
Ridley is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Ridley's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #1,733. Use the chart and map above to compare Ridley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "R" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.