Surname Ridware - Meaning and Origin
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Ridware: What does the surname Ridware mean?
The last name Ridware is an English surname of topographical origin, hailing from the village of Ridware in Staffordshire. The name is thought to derive from the Old English personal name “Rida”, combined with the word “weir”, meaning a flooding of water.
Throughout history the name Ridware has been found mainly in Staffordshire but also in London and other parts of swingeing England.
The earliest mention of the Ridware name is from 1276 in the Feet of Fines of Staffordshire, where a William de Rideware is mentioned. The family later made their way to Warrington Cheshire and later London.
For hundreds of years the Ridware surname has been significant in many areas, both socially and economically. Historically it is likely that Ridware families have owned land or have been involved in industries such as mining or farming.
In today’s world, the Ridware surname remains an identifiable name. A search of the local telephone directory may turn up a few Ridware representatives of any given area. Current family members will likely have a good knowledge of their ancestry and will be proud of their Ridware roots.
Order DNA origin analysisRidware: Where does the name Ridware come from?
The last name Ridware is most commonly found in the United Kingdom. It is an old English surname, meaning ‘ridge farm’, derived from Old English words hrycg ('ridge') and weard ('farm'). The earliest record of the name dates from the 12th century. In the modern era, the last name Ridware is most prevalent in the counties of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, particularly in the towns of Leicester and Nottingham.
However, the Ridware name has spread further afield over the centuries and can be found in other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the US, Ridwares have generally been found in the Midwest, particularly the Great Lakes region, since the 19th and early 20th centuries, when many immigrants arrived from England. In Canada, the name is more often found in eastern parts of the country, such as Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces.
Despite its origins in England and its current prevalence there, as well as in other countries, the Ridware surname is far from exclusive to any one region and can be encountered wherever the descendants of those first British settlers may be found.
Variations of the surname Ridware
The surname Ridware is derived from the Old English words "rīd" and "wara", which mean "ford" and "guard". The surname is most often seen with the spelling "Ridware" or "Ridwarr" but variations of the spelling also exist, such as "Redewere", "Ridwaer" or "Ridwur".
The Ridware surname can also have a range of variants depending on where or how it has been written over the course of history, speaking to its geographic and linguistic origins. Common variants include "Reedwar", "Redeware", "Redwyer", and "Ridwere".
In addition to these spellings, the surname is also commonly seen in its abbreviated form, "Ridwar". Here, the "e" has been dropped from the word "Ridware", offering another way of spelling the surname.
Surnames related to Ridware also exist, many of which are thought to be derived from different contexts, but still retain an association to the original form. These include "Rieder", "Redeker", "Readman", and "Ridgway".
Overall, Ridware has been a popular surname for some time, and its variations in spelling and language speak to its deep and complex history.
Famous people with the name Ridware
- Courtney Ridware: British doctor and broadcaster, renowned for raising awareness around racial inequality in the UK healthcare system.
- Robert Ridware: British actor, best known for his roles in films such as Brideshead Revisited, Peter Pan, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
- Samantha Ridware: British actor, best known for her roles in TV series such as Casualty and Coronation Street.
- Frances Ridware: British pop star, best known for her debut single "Pretty Young Thing" and her collaboration with Take That, "It's All About the Money".
- Clive Ridware: British actor, best known for his role as Eddy in the popular TV show Extras.
- Nicky Ridware: British actor, best known for her role in the crime drama series Waking the Dead.
- Clive Ridware: British businessman, founder and CEO of Ridware Solutions, a software company that specializes in enterprise resource planning systems.
- David Ridware: British fashion designer, renowned for his work with the British fashion brand Mark&Spencer.
- David Ridware: British actor, known for his roles in films such as X-Men: First Class and The Avengers.
- Philip Ridware: British architect, known for his modern designs of office buildings, hotels and residential properties.