Given name & surname · also Old English
Ridley
“from the meadow of reeds”
Ridley is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the meadow of reeds.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the meadow of reeds.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old English.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Ridley through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,892
- 1,528 boys · 1,364 girls
- Most popular year
- 2018
- 213 babies
- 2025
- 166
- #2,013 for girls · #2,089 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −1%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 43% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 95 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,013 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 2.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 124 in 2018. It also appeared in 71 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,840 as a first name in 2020; 11,357 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ridley’s family of names
Ridley has a related form in Riddlea. Ridley has a related form in Riddleah. Ridley has a related form in Riddlee.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Ridley
- Ridley ScottEnglish filmmaker (born 1937)
- Ridley PearsonAmerican writerborn 1953
- Ridley JacobsWest Indian cricketerborn 1967
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ridley, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Arley
“from the hare's meadow”
68% boys · 32% girls
Oakley
“from the field of oak trees” · “from the meadow of oak trees”
35% boys · 65% girls
Leighton
“from the town near the meadow”
26% boys · 74% girls
Sage
“wise one; type of spice”
32% boys · 68% girls
River
“from the river”
65% boys · 35% girls
Harley
“from the meadow of the hares”
20% boys · 80% girls
Remington
“from the town of the raven's family”
65% boys · 35% girls
Murphy
“daughter of a great sea warrior” · “a warrior of the sea”
38% boys · 62% girls