Ridley

Ridley - A very unique male name

Ridley appeared on the charts for the first time in 1921 on position #1964. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Ridley and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Ridley? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Ridley. The baby boy name Ridley was given to 21 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2407 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 69,823 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Ridley peaked in popularity 84 years ago in 1942 on position 1662.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Ridley, 1-5?

Ridley is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Ridley is currently topping the baby name charts in Ohio at position #1,230 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,794.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Ridley is where you live.

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Ridley origin and meaning

English surname

An English surname and place name, from Old English hreod, 'reed' + leah, 'clearing': 'reed clearing'

Ridley is a transferred English surname with a sparse US record since 1921. Film director Ridley Scott is a surname association only and not a bearer — the given-name use is independent and very small, though rising.

Attested etymology

Ridley is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Ridley, pop culture references for the name Ridley and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Ridley

We've found the following names that sound similar to Ridley, sorted by popularity.

Raudel / Radley / Rodell / Raydel / Rodel / Redell / Rutilio / Rudell /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Ridley

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Ridley a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Ridley?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

RID-lee · /ˈrɪdli/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Ripley — Similar surname name; a separate entry

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

A crisp English surname name — preppy, outdoorsy, and still rare as a first name.

Worth knowing

• Often misheard as Ripley, especially after the Alien films