Explore the Family Name Ridge
The meaning of Ridge
English: 1. 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. 2. sometimes perhaps a variant of Rich with voicing of the formerly medial consonant.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ridge in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Ridge has seen a slight decrease, shifting from rank 4672 in the year 2000 to rank 4936 in 2010, marking a change of -5.65%. However, the overall count of individuals bearing this surname has marginally increased from 6942 to 7133, a positive change of 2.75%. The proportion per 100K of the population with this surname has also seen a minor decrease from 2.57 to 2.42 (-5.84%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,672 | #4,936 | -5.65% |
| Count | 6,942 | 7,133 | 2.75% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.57 | 2.42 | -5.84% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ridge
In terms of ethnicity, data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the majority of individuals with the surname Ridge identify as White, although this percentage has slightly decreased from 88.09% in 2000 to 86.26% in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander have seen an increase from 0.37% to 0.48%, and individuals identifying with two or more races increased from 1.96% to 2.37%. The percentage of Hispanic individuals with this surname experienced the most significant increase, from 1.83% to 2.85%. A smaller increase is noted among those identifying as Black (from 6.78% to 7.01%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (from 0.97% to 1.04%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.09% | 86.26% | -2.08% |
| Black | 6.78% | 7.01% | 3.39% |
| Hispanic | 1.83% | 2.85% | 55.74% |
| Two or More Races | 1.96% | 2.37% | 20.92% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.97% | 1.04% | 7.22% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.37% | 0.48% | 29.73% |
Ridge ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Ridge is British & Irish, which comprises 58.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.8%) and Eastern European (5.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Indigenous American, Spanish & Portuguese, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.4% |
| French & German | 19.8% |
| Eastern European | 5.6% |
| Other | 16.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Ridge
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Ridge have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
What Ridge haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Ridge is I-F2642, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-F2642 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-Z138 and I-M253, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lawson, Kirkland, Ashworth, Starling, Buchan, Sherrod, Abell, Ashford, Vaught, Greiner.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ridge surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Alexander Hamilton
Early in the morning on July 11, 1804, Aaron Burr (then Vice President of the United States) and Alexander Hamilton (founder of the U.S. Treasury) dueled on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. This marked the culmination of a bitter personal and political rivalry between the two men. Alexander Hamilton died as a result of the duel, but his intellectual legacy survives in the founding documents of the nation he helped build. A piece of his genetic legacy survives as well: in the 21st century, genealogists documented the paternal haplogroups of dozens of Hamilton's living descendants and concluded that the Founding Father's paternal haplogroup was a branch of I-DF29.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Ridge have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Ridge" Surname 32.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Ridge" Surname 23.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ridge" Surname 27.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Ridge" Surname 23.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ridge?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Ridge are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition