Ridley: Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

At a Glance: Name: Ridley – Meaning: reed clearing, or cleared-land clearing (a topographic place name with no meaning beyond the landscape description) – Origin: Old English (surname/place name) – Gender: Unisex – Pronunciation: RID-lee


Ridley is an Old English (surname/place name) unisex name meaning “reed clearing, or cleared-land clearing (a topographic place name with no meaning beyond the landscape description)”. It appears in 6 of our baby name lists.

Meaning & Origin of Ridley

Meaning: Reed clearing, or cleared-land clearing (a topographic place name with no meaning beyond the landscape description).

Origin: Old English (surname/place name).

A common claim: Ridley means 'red clearing' Actually: Ridley comes from Old English words for reeds (or cleared land) plus 'clearing' — a topographic place name unrelated to the color red.

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Ridley

Phonetic: RID-lee   IPA: /ˈrɪdli/

Popularity of Ridley

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1915–2024.

Lists That Include Ridley

Similar Names

Sullivan · Ranger · Tanner · Paxton · Tucker · Nash

More Baby Name Inspiration