Ridley
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Ridley
Director Ridley Scott and actress Daisy Ridley made this surname-style name familiar, and with its outdoorsy meaning and rugged yet preppy sound, it could blend in with Oakley, Reid, Riley, and Ridge. Some parents might be put of by the first syllable (as in, "get rid of" or "horrid" or "riddles"), but since Scarlett (scar), Colton (cult), and Titus all rank in the Top 400, it could still work for those looking for a standout last-name first name.
Ridley for boys#2089 US
Given to a little under 100 boys each year, it is currently more popular for girls. But Ridley's usage has been climbing since the 2010s and would make for an attractice gender neutral pick.
Ridley for girls#2013 US
Can one prominent character affect the gender identity of a name? Definitely, as has supernatural bad girl Ridley Duchannes of the Beautiful Creatures series-turned-movie, played by the gorgeous Emmy Rossum.
Before Duchannes, director Ridley Scott all but owned this unusual surname and so gave it a male spin, but it feels girl-appropriate too, thanks to the afore mentioned character and actor Daisy Ridley. The trendy -ley ending helps it along, as it could easily fit in with Wrenley, Hadley, Presley, and similar.
Given to around 100 girls in each recent year, it peaked in 2018 when 124 girls received the name, along with 90 boys.
Pronounced RID-lee.
As of October 2026, Ridley ranked #2089 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1742 in 2018.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2,078 | 68 | #2,511 | 72 |
| 2015 | #2,203 | 62 | #2,547 | 71 |
| 2016 | #1,885 | 79 | #2,283 | 84 |
| 2017 | #1,996 | 72 | #2,422 | 75 |
| 2018 | #1,742 | 89 | #1,683 | 124 |
| 2019 | #1,947 | 76 | #1,839 | 111 |
| 2020 | #1,889 | 79 | #1,902 | 101 |
| 2021 | #1,760 | 92 | #1,989 | 98 |
| 2022 | #1,993 | 77 | #1,925 | 104 |
| 2023 | #2,073 | 72 | #1,874 | 107 |
| 2024 | #2,248 | 64 | #1,930 | 103 |
| 2025 | #2,089 | 71 | #2,013 | 95 |
World rankings
Ridley for girls
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Ridley on lists
Famous Ridleys
- Ridley PearsonBoy
American writer
- Ridley ScottBoy
English film director
- Ridley JacobsBoy
West Indian cricketer
- Ridley Jack Seguso (b. 1991)Boy
son of tennis players Robert Seguso and Carling Bassett Seguso
- Ridley BentBoy
Canadian musician
- Frances Ridley Havergal (1836Girl
1879), hymnist and composer
- Daisy RidleyGirl
English actress
- Ridley Belle Baxter (b. 2007)Girl
daughter of actress Victoria Smurfit and Douglas Baxter
Ridley in pop culture
- RidleyBoy
villain in the "Metroid" video game series
- Ridley WizenBoy
canine/humanoid character in the RP video game "Suikoden II"
- Ridley FreebornBoy
main character in the film "Dungeons and Dragons"
- Ridley DuchannesGirl
a main character in the Caster Chronicles
- Ridley SilverlakeGirl
a main character in the computer game Radiata Stories