Riddle Family History

English:: habitational name probably chiefly from Ryedale, a river valley in North Yorkshire. The placename derives from the river name Rye (of uncertain etymology) + Old Norse dalr ‘valley’. There are however other places called Rydale (in Westmorland for example) which could have given rise to hereditary surnames.

Of Norman origin from an Old French personal name Ridel, perhaps a pet form of ancient Germanic names such as Ridbald and Ridhari(us).