Ridding Surname History

Origins Available:
England

The name Ridding is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in the village of Reading found in the county of Berkshire. The surname Ridding is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the surname was originally derived from the Old English word rydding which simply refers to an area that has been cleared.

Early Origins of the Ridding family

The surname Ridding was first found in Sussex. Some of the earliest records of the surname were: Robert de Reading (died 1325), English historian and a monk of Westminster; and John of Reading (Latin: Johannes de Reading, Johannes Radingia) who died 1346. He was an English Franciscan theologian and scholastic philosopher and follower of Duns Scotus. He wrote a commentary on the Four Books of Sentences written by Peter Lombard around 1320, at the University of Oxford. In 1322, he accepted a teaching position at Avignon and it was there that he died.

Early History of the Ridding family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ridding research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1588, 1645, 1667, 1674, 1677, 1686, 1692, 1744, 1747, 1748, 1757, 1758 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Ridding History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ridding Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Ridding has been spelled many different ways, including Reading, Reding, Redding, Reddin and others.

Early Notables of the Ridding family

Distinguished members of the family include John Reading (1588-1667), English Calvinist and Biblical commentator; Sir James Reading; John Reading (c.1645-1692), English composer and organist, Choir master of Chichester Cathedral (1674-1677); and...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ridding Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ridding migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Riddings to arrive in North America:

Ridding Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Ridding, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 1

Ridding migration to Australia +

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

Ridding Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Alexander Ridding, British Convict who was convicted in Warwick, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2
Mr. Charles Ridding who was convicted in Salford, Greater Manchester, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Duchess of Northumberland" on 1st October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1837
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duchess-of-northumberland