Ridding History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Ridding come from when the family resided 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 English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Ridding has been recorded under many different variations, 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 +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Ridding or a variant listed above:

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

The Ridding 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: Dieu defende la droit
Motto Translation: God defends the right.

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