Ridout History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Ridout reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Ridout family lived in Somerset and Yorkshire. There are many thoughts about the origin of the name. Generally, the most logical explanation is that the name was derived from the term redoubt which was a military fortification. 1
Early Origins of the Ridout family
The surname Ridout was first found in Somerset, where the first on record was Elyas Rydhut listed in that county in the Hundredorum Rolls in 1274. 2 John Ridut was listed in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1276 and 1278. 3 There was a Ridout family established early in Edgbaston near Birmingham, and another in Yorkshire, where they intermarried with the distinguished Yorkshire family of Strangeways. A William Rydhowt was on record in the Poll Tax of Yorkshire in 1379. 2
Early History of the Ridout family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ridout research. Another 39 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1696 is included under the topic Early Ridout History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Ridout Spelling Variations
Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Ridout family name include Ridout, Rideout and others.
Early Notables of the Ridout family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
Ridout Ranking
In the United States, the name Ridout is the 14,495th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4
Ridout migration to the United States +
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Ridout family to immigrate North America:
Ridout Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- William Ridout, a child apprentice, who settled in Boston in 1716
- Thomas Ridout who settled in New England in 1757
- Richard Ridout, who arrived in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1764
- John Ridout, a bonded passenger, who settled in America in 1767
Ridout Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- George Ridout, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1820
- George Ridout, who arrived in Mississippi in 1839 5
- James C Ridout, who landed in Mississippi in 1839 5
- Samuel George Ridout, who arrived in Mississippi in 1839 5
Ridout migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Ridout Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Ambrose Ridout, British convict who was convicted in Dorset, England for life, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
- Robert Ridout, aged 40, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Constantine"
- John Ridout, aged 26, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Sumner"
Contemporary Notables of the name Ridout (post 1700) +
- Samuel Ridout, American politician, Mayor of Annapolis, Maryland, 1803-04, 1806-07 7
- R. N. Ridout, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Iowa State Senate 49th District; Elected 1948 7
- John R. Ridout, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 1924 7
- George W. Ridout, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Senator from New Jersey, 1944, 1948 7
- George Percival Ridout (1807-1873), English-born merchant and politician in Canada West, President of the Toronto Board of Trade (1844-1852), Governor for the British America Assurance Company in 1853
- Ronald Ridout (1916-1994), English textbook author, best known for his English Today series
- Thomas Ridout (1754-1829), English-born, Canadian politician in Upper Canada, Chairman of the Home District Council (1811-1829)
- Heather Ridout AO, Australian board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia
- Godfrey Ridout (1918-1984), Canadian composer, conductor, music educator, and writer, music director of the Eaton Operatic Society from 1949-1958
- Alan Ridout (1934-1996), British composer and music teacher
Historic Events for the Ridout family +
- Mr. Robert Ernest Ridout (1914-1941), Australian Paymaster Lieutenant (S) from Burwood, Victoria, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 8
- Mr. W. Ridout (d. 1912), aged 29, English Saloon Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 9
The Ridout Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Toutz foitz chevalier
Motto Translation: Always a knight.
Citations +
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
- Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html