Contents [hide]

Ridgeway History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Sources

Ridgeway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Ridgeway

What does the name Ridgeway mean?

The ancestry of the name Ridgeway dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived at the ridgeway a path along the back of a hill or ridge. Ridgeway is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a ridge. 1

Early Origins of the Ridgeway family

The surname Ridgeway was first found in Devon. "The extinct Baronet family, created Lords Londonderry in Ireland, traced their pedigree to 6. Edw. IV., when Stephen Ridgeway was one of the stewards of the city of Exeter. There are two places in Devonshire called Ridgeway, one near Honiton, and the other near Plymouth, but from which of these the family sprang is unknown. " 2

Torre Abbey in Torguay, Devon was held by the family for a period of time, but the history of owners in interesting: "John St. Leger, to whom the site was granted, sold it to Sir Hugh Pollard. Pollard's grandson conveyed it to Sir Edmund Seymour, and he sold it to Thomas Ridgway, ancestor of the Earls of Londonderry, the lord of the manor of Torre Mohun, which John Ridgway and John Petre had bought of Edward VI. By the Ridgways the whole property was held until 1653. Torre Abbey was then sold to John Stowell" 3

Early rolls revealed records in Cheshire: John del Ruggeway was listed in East Cheshire in 1355; and later Hugh Ridgeway was found in Cheshire in 1577. Katerine Ridgeway was buried at Prestbury Cheshire in 1560 and James Ridgway, of Offerton was listed in the Wills at Chester in 1594. There was one early record of the family in Yorkshire: Johannes de Rygeway, who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

Early History of the Ridgeway family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ridgeway research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1565, 1583, 1600, 1606 and 1631 are included under the topic Early Ridgeway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ridgeway Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Ridgeway have been found, including Ridgway, Ridgeway and others.

Early Notables of the Ridgeway family

Distinguished members of the family include

Thomas Ridgeway, 1st Earl of Londonderry (1565? - 1631), English administrator active in the Ulster Plantation. He was son and heir of Thomas Ridgeway of Tor Mohun, Devon. He was born either at Torwoo...

Ridgeway Ranking

In the United States, the name Ridgeway is the 2,956^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Ridgeway family to Ireland

Some of the Ridgeway family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ridgeway migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Ridgeway, or a variant listed above:

Ridgeway Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Ridgeway went to America in 1820
Geo. Ridgeway, aged 46, who landed in America, in 1893
John L. Ridgeway, aged 37, who settled in America, in 1896

Ridgeway Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Harriet E. Ridgeway, aged 45, who landed in America from Manchester, England, in 1904
Alfred J. Ridgeway, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States from Lenzance, England, in 1907
Clara Ridgeway, aged 36, who settled in America from Shaw, England, in 1907
Constance M. Ridgeway, aged 3, who landed in America from Shaw, England, in 1907
Rose Ridgeway, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States from York, England, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ridgeway migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ridgeway Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Frederick Ridgeway, aged 27, who settled in Moose Jaw, SK, Canada, in 1911
Albert Ernest Ridgeway, aged 32, who immigrated to New Westminster, BC, Canada, in 1913
Daisy Melina Ridgeway, aged 26, who settled in New Westminister, BC, Canada, in 1913
Ernest Edmund Ridgeway, aged 1, who settled in New Westminister, BC, Canada, in 1913

Ridgeway migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Ridgeway Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Samuel Ridgeway, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Harry Lorrequer" 6

Ridgeway migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ridgeway Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Isaac Ridgeway, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Coromandel" in 1840
E. Ridgeway, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
Jane Ridgeway, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
Eliza Ridgeway, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
James Ridgeway, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ridgeway (post 1700) +

James Fowler Ridgeway (1936-2021), American investigative journalist who contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist
Suzanne Ridgeway (1918-1996), American film actress who appeared in approximately 115 films
Fritzi Ridgeway (1898-1961), American silent film actress who appeared in 63 films
Lindsay Elizabeth Ridgeway (b. 1985), former American child actress in film, television, and theater
Rick Ridgeway (b. 1949), Emmy Award-winning filmmaker
General Matthew Bunker Ridgeway (1895-1993), American hero of the Second World War, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1986
R. B. Ridgeway, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1916 7
N. C. Ridgeway, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1904, 1912 7
Michael Ridgeway, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Oklahoma State House of Representatives 53rd District, 2002 7
Frank B. Ridgeway, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1904 7
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Ridgeway Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Mihi gravato Deus
Motto Translation: Let God lay the burden on me.

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HARRY LORREQUER 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849HarryLorrequer.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html