Riddle Surname

11,055th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 50,801 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Guernsey

Riddle Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Riddell,' in the parish of Lilliesleaf, Roxburghshire. A clan name of great antiquity. (2 Local; v. Reddall (1).

1761. Married — William Ridell and Mary Simpson: St. George, Hanover Square.

Read More About This Surname

Riddle Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States43,5601:8,321993
Australia2,3841:11,3241,671
England2,3691:23,5203,269
Canada7941:46,4055,694
New Zealand4241:10,6801,864
South Africa3101:174,76719,310
Scotland2061:25,9892,818
Saudi Arabia1591:194,06229,524
Wales551:56,2645,128
Israel531:161,46516,670
Northern Ireland471:39,2563,678
Chile451:391,47710,650
Mexico441:2,821,05022,257
Philippines321:3,163,694143,904
Guyana261:29,3163,211
Guernsey221:2,929767
Iraq211:1,667,69816,789
Thailand191:3,717,808320,775
India191:40,371,862445,856
Singapore171:323,98313,856
Netherlands161:1,055,44866,951
Spain121:3,896,00372,236
Brazil111:19,461,303329,560
Afghanistan111:2,923,01717,932
Germany101:8,050,546248,660
United Arab Emirates91:1,018,03036,884
Switzerland91:912,54658,198
China91:151,924,6187,954
Sweden81:1,230,84590,587
Indonesia61:22,041,532555,748
Czechia41:2,658,367127,801
Morocco41:8,619,02573,251
Sri Lanka41:5,202,14012,146
Turkey41:19,455,356155,681
Bahamas41:97,9381,027
Jamaica41:717,48710,371
Italy41:15,289,172132,955
Argentina41:10,685,854219,200
Japan31:42,614,76459,022
South Korea31:17,080,0852,793
Costa Rica31:1,593,3568,177
Bulgaria31:2,326,30254,089
France31:22,140,907385,998
Panama31:1,304,08613,647
United States Virgin Islands21:55,1886,229
Benin21:5,167,80184,334
Zimbabwe21:7,719,120118,432
Romania21:10,038,93580,612
Oman21:1,843,9869,590
Norway21:2,571,14395,402
Malaysia21:14,747,112316,340
Latvia21:1,025,02341,546
Denmark11:5,644,71593,155
Ireland11:4,708,93929,543
North Macedonia11:2,101,47231,546
Kuwait11:3,800,69427,187
Venezuela11:30,204,07785,459
British Virgin Islands11:31,5941,029
Zambia11:15,849,92253,989
Isle of Man11:85,8224,091
Angola11:26,989,21411,853
American Samoa11:55,7583,072
Cyprus11:884,87613,055
Honduras11:8,816,4429,272
Pakistan11:178,643,885213,220
Tanzania11:52,941,613123,716
Taiwan11:23,444,74693,622
Dominica11:75,891912
Malta11:430,2723,380
Sudan11:37,510,19514,259
Guam11:160,1214,893
Ecuador11:15,905,84650,210
Micronesia11:106,2431,380
Bahrain11:1,348,60810,432
Greece11:11,079,790145,225
Bangladesh11:159,356,77326,077
Hong Kong11:7,335,48316,643
Georgia11:3,745,54547,852
Qatar11:2,357,99976,403
Poland11:38,008,749231,653
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland641:69,2175,108
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England1,9811:12,3051,863
Scotland4851:7,7181,070
Wales431:36,4751,977
Jersey11:51,8823,898
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States7,5121:6,685838

Riddle (149) may also be a first name.

Riddle Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Riddell,' in the parish of Lilliesleaf, Roxburghshire. A clan name of great antiquity. (2 Local; v. Reddall (1).

1761. Married — William Ridell and Mary Simpson: St. George, Hanover Square.

1768. — James Riddle and Mary Humphry: ibid.

1770. — Samuel Harper and Helen Riddell: ibid.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

V. Riddel(l.

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

(English) Descendant of little Rada (counsel); dweller on, or near, a red hill; one who came from Rydal or Ryedale (valley where rye was grown), in Westmorland and Yorkshire respectively.

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

Of that Ilk, in the parish of Lilliesleaf, co. Roxburgh. There is a tradition of great antiquity, ascending to the VII. or VIII. century. See Lay of the Last Minstrel, notes-but documentary evidence goes back to the XII. only. Richard Basset, justiciar of England, temp. Hen. I., married the heiress of Riddell, and his eldest son assumed his mother's surname. Genealogists differ as to the extraction of the family. See Douglas's Baronage. Betham's Baronetage, Nisbet's Heraldry, &c.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

REDELL: Local: from the lands of Ridell in Roxburghshire. The family are descended from Oscitel de Ridel, 1090.

The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames (1862) by Clifford Stanley Sims (1839-1896)

Local. From lands in the county of Yorkshire, formerly called the Ryedales.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

The same as Riddell, found Rydale, De Rydale, and De Ridale; from Riddell or Ryedale, in the parish of Lilliesleaf co. Roxburgh. Sir Walter Scott refers to several curious documents which warrant most conclusively the epithet of "Ancient Riddell." See Stat. Ac. of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 27, note.

Ludus Patronymicus (1868) by Richard Stephen Charnock

From the Danish, Riedel; from the Swedish, Rydall; from the French, Ridel, Ridelle; a personal name Richard Ridel in Rotuli de Oblatis et Finibus, King John

British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

The Riddells or Riddles have long been established in Northumberland. During the 16th and 17th centuries several of the mayors and sheriffs of Newcastle bore the name of Riddel (B.). The Riddells of Tillmouth were an important family in the 13th and 14th centuries. An ancient family of Riddell once lived at the seat of that name in Roxburghshire (L.). Riddells - Quarter is a township in Northumberland. The Cornish name of Riddle has evidently had an independent origin.

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

Riddle Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Riddle Come From? nationality or country of origin

The surname Riddle is borne by more people in The United States than any other country/territory. It can also be rendered as:. For other potential spellings of this name click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Riddle? popularity and diffusion

The surname Riddle is the 11,055th most commonly used surname on a global scale, borne by approximately 1 in 143,453 people. Riddle is primarily found in The Americas, where 87 percent of Riddle reside; 87 percent reside in North America and 87 percent reside in Anglo-North America. Riddle is also the 754,880th most frequently held first name globally It is held by 149 people.

This surname is most commonly held in The United States, where it is held by 43,560 people, or 1 in 8,321. In The United States it is most common in: Texas, where 9 percent reside, California, where 8 percent reside and North Carolina, where 7 percent reside. Not including The United States Riddle exists in 79 countries. It is also common in Australia, where 5 percent reside and England, where 5 percent reside.

Riddle Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The prevalency of Riddle has changed over time. In The United States the number of people bearing the Riddle last name expanded 580 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it expanded 120 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it decreased 58 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Wales it expanded 128 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it decreased 98 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Riddle Last Name Statistics demography

The religious devotion of those bearing the surname is predominantly Anglican (50%) in Ireland.

In The United States those holding the Riddle surname are 21.57% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than The US average, with 68.34% registered to vote for the party.

The amount Riddle earn in different countries varies greatly. In South Africa they earn 125.4% more than the national average, earning R 535,644 per year; in United States they earn 6.29% less than the national average, earning $40,433 USD per year and in Canada they earn 8.33% more than the national average, earning $53,823 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Riddles922,066/
Riddley92435/
Riddler92387/
Riddile9284/
Rieddle927/
Riddele922/
Riddled922/
Riddlle922/
Riddlee921/
Riddlge921/
Reiddle920/
Rriddle920/
Riddlie920/
Rioddle920/
Ridle91208/
Riddelle869/
Riddlles860/
Riddille860/
Ridley8333,324/
Ridler832,864/
Riedle832,399/
Ruddle832,045/
Reidle83208/
Reddle8324/
Raidle839/
Ridles838/
Ridlet838/
Ridele837/
Riddly836/
Ridlle836/
Ridlei832/
Ridlee831/
Riodle831/
Ridile830/
Roidle830/
Ruidle830/
Riddledds802/
Reidler77267/
Ridelle77202/
Riedley7767/
Ruddley7725/
Ridless7722/
Riddeal7721/
Raidler7718/
Reddley7710/
Ridlley773/
Reidley772/
Reidlee771/
Riddeil771/
Ridlett771/
Hridler771/
Riddail771/
Ruidley771/
Ridille770/
Roidler770/
Raidley770/
Reddlie770/
Reidele770/
Reddler770/
Ridla73361/
Rädle73222/
Redle73173/
Ridly7359/
Rudle7352/
Ridli7344/
Rydle7344/
Rüdle732/
Rideller7135/
Raidlepp7115/
Readdile713/
Riddilla711/
Reidlead711/
Riodelle711/
Raidelle711/
Ridelles710/
Ruddelle710/
Redler671,519/
Rädler671,255/
Redley67558/
Ridgel67386/
Rudley67310/
Ridloi67191/
Reidla67185/
Raidla67169/
Readle67163/
Redele67130/
Rideal6733/
Reedle6725/
Rédler6724/
Reddla6723/
Redlet6721/
Rydler6720/
Redles6717/
Ridloy6715/
Reddly675/
Reidly674/
Riedli674/
Ridlai674/
Redile674/
Ridlay672/
Redlee672/
Riedly672/
Redlhe671/
Ridgeeley671/
Roidli671/
Ridlaj671/
Raidli671/
Rudlie670/
Raydle670/
Ridgil670/
Rydley670/

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Riddle Reference & Research

Riddell/Riddle/Ruddl FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.

Riddell/Riddle/Ruddl FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Riddle
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis