Ridley Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Ridley last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Ridley coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Ridley last name
Meaning of the Ridley last name: cleared woodland or reed clearing. Ridley is an English surname from places in Northumberland, Cheshire, Essex and Kent named Ridley, from Old English words for a clearing or a reedy meadow. The Ridleys of Northumberland were a well-known Border family. Bishop Nicholas Ridley, burned at Oxford in 1555, carried this last name.
Arms associated with the Ridley name
Coats of arms associated with the Ridley last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Ridley family history
This is only a glimpse of the Ridley story. The full Ridley history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Ridley coat of arms. Get the full Ridley report.
Ridley name FAQ
What does the Ridley name mean?
Cleared woodland or reed clearing. Common variants include Riddley.
Where does the Ridley surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Ridley coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Ridley coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).