Explore the Family Name Ridgeway
The meaning of Ridgeway
English: from Middle English rig(g)ewei ‘ridgeway’ (Old English hrycgweg). The surname may be topographic, signifying someone who lived beside a ridgeway, or habitational, signifying someone who lived at one of a number of places so named, for example Ridgeway (Cheshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, Somerset, Staffordshire) and Rudgeway (Gloucestershire).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ridgeway in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Ridgeway has seen a slight decline over a decade. In 2000, Ridgeway ranked as the 3706th most popular surname in the United States while by 2010, it had slipped to the 3960th position, a decrease of approximately 6.85%. However, the total count of individuals with the Ridgeway surname increased slightly from 8,791 in 2000 to 8,975 in 2010, marking a growth of 2.09%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,706 | #3,960 | -6.85% |
| Count | 8,791 | 8,975 | 2.09% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.26 | 3.04 | -6.75% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ridgeway
The ethnic identity associated with the Ridgeway surname also showed shifts between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, although this proportion decreased slightly from 77.44% in 2000 to 74.81% in 2010. The percentage identifying as Black increased marginally from 17.93% to 18.67%. The largest change was observed in those identifying as Hispanic, which saw an increase of 71.54%, though still only constituting 2.11% of the total in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those claiming two or more races also saw increases, while a slight decrease was noted among those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.44% | 74.81% | -3.4% |
| Black | 17.93% | 18.67% | 4.13% |
| Two or More Races | 1.69% | 2.61% | 54.44% |
| Hispanic | 1.23% | 2.11% | 71.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.27% | 1.24% | -2.36% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.57% | 32.56% |
Ridgeway 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 Ridgeway is British & Irish, which comprises 54.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.9%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Scandinavian, Italian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.3% |
| French & German | 22.9% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 18.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Ridgeway
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 Ridgeway have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
What Ridgeway 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 Ridgeway is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS8277 and E-M180, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: O'Neal, Lyle, Flint, Armstrong, Winn, Chamberlain, Sexton, Grundy, Ashby, Lima.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ridgeway surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Ridgeway 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.
"Ridgeway" Surname 40.8%
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.
"Ridgeway" Surname 32.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ridgeway" Surname 31.6%
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.
"Ridgeway" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ridgeway?
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 Ridgeway are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition