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Ridge Family History

Ridge Surname Meaning

English:: topographic name for someone who lived on or by a ridge Middle English rigge (Old English hrycg) ‘ridge’ or a habitational name from any of the minor places so named.

It is synonymous with West Midlands Rudge and northern Rigg. The surname is also fairly common in Ireland in County Galway, having been taken to Connacht in the early 17th century.

The name is sometimes Gaelicized as Mac Iomaire; iomaire being modern Irish for ‘ridge’. Compare Attridge.

Sometimes perhaps a variant of Rich with voicing of the formerly medial consonant.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Ridge family from?

You can see how Ridge families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Ridge family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Ridge families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 367 Ridge families living in Yorkshire. This was about 16% of all the recorded Ridge's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Ridge families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Ridge surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Ridge ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Ridge. 11% of Ridge men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Ridge women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Ridge were Farmer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Ridge | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Farmer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Cotton Weaver
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Ridge family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 76,000 census records available for the last name Ridge. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Ridge census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Ridge

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Ridge. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Ridge immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Ridge. For the veterans among your Ridge ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Ridge military records

You've only scratched the surface of Ridge family history

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What is the average Ridge lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Ridge life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Ridge in 1945 was 40, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Ridge

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Ridge ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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