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Riddle Family History

Riddle Surname Meaning

English:: habitational name probably chiefly from Ryedale, a river valley in North Yorkshire. The placename derives from the river name Rye (of uncertain etymology) + Old Norse dalr ‘valley’. There are however other places called Rydale (in Westmorland for example) which could have given rise to hereditary surnames.

Of Norman origin from an Old French personal name Ridel, perhaps a pet form of ancient Germanic names such as Ridbald and Ridhari(us).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Riddle family from?

You can see how Riddle families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Riddle family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Riddle families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 235 Riddle families living in Ontario. This was about 64% of all the recorded Riddle's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Riddle families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Riddle surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Riddle ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Riddle. 48% of Riddle men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Riddle women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Riddle were Farmers Son and Bookkeeper.

View Census Data for Riddle | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    48%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Labourer
    7%
  • Farmers Son
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Book Keeper
    12%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Bookkeeper
    12%

What Riddle family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 169,000 census records available for the last name Riddle. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Riddle census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Riddle

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Riddle. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Riddle immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 34,000 military records available for the last name Riddle. For the veterans among your Riddle ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Riddle military records

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