The Riddle surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 33,507 people carried this name — #1,036 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 8,800 people counted. That is up 3% from 32,654 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Riddle surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley explains it as ‘of Riddell’ — the first of the origins he gives.

His entry covers Riddell and Riddle.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 645 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Riddle was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Northumberland: 30 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 333. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Northumberland 30
Cornwall 8

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

83 families named Riddle, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 492 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 31
North Carolina 13
Maryland 10
New Hampshire 7
Virginia 7
South Carolina 6
Massachusetts 5
Vermont 2
New York 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 259 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Riddle in American newspapers,
1901–1928.

Newspaper page from The St. Charles Herald carrying the name Riddle
The St. Charles Herald 1920-10-16
Newspaper page from The Ronan Pioneer carrying the name Riddle
The Ronan Pioneer 1928-03-01
Newspaper page from The Conservative carrying the name Riddle
The Conservative 1901-07-18

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 8,415 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Riddle in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

26,542 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Riddle. The most, 5,925, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 7,986
South Australia 7,110
Queensland 4,496
Victoria 4,325
Western Australia 1,367
Tasmania 950
ACT (Canberra) 266
Northern Territory 12

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Riddle.

Who carried it

People named Riddle,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Albert G. Riddle
    Albert G. Riddle 1816–1902 · lawyer
  • Douglas F. Riddle d. 2010 · computer scientist
  • Leonard Riddle d. 1963
  • Edward Riddle 1786–1854 · astronomer
  • Edward Riddle 1786–1854 · astronomer
  • Samuel Riddle 1800–1888 · businessperson

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Riddle,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,182 records

2,182 records of the Riddle name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,244
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 424
  • Other U.S. records 514
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Larry Ray Riddle

    Born 1945; from Atlanta, Georgia. U.S. Navy, construction electrician; killed in action 1967 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Marietta National Cemetery, Georgia.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record George A. Riddle

    Born 1914 in Oklahoma. Enlisted 1942 at Los Angeles, California; driver. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1990, buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Marie Riddle

    Arrived at New York in 1886 aboard the Etruria from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 30; servant. From London, France.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,182 records for Riddle in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia607 records

607 records of the Riddle name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 297
  • Tasmanian Names Index 130
  • Other Australian records 180
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Henry Riddle

    Died 1923 in Public Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1924.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Eugenie Louise Riddle

    Born 1866 in Hobart, Tasmania. Married 1889 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 22.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record George Riddle

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Morning Light, aged 38; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 607 records for Riddle in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada40 records

40 records of the Riddle name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 12
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 9
  • Other Canadian records 19
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Ben Riddle

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Lord Townshend, bound for St. Johns River, aged 7.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henry Riddle

    Came to Ontario in 1872 aboard the Prussian, landing at Quebec, bound for New Market, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edith McPhail Riddle

    Buried in 1974 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 74.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 40 records for Riddle in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom28 records

28 records of the Riddle name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 16
  • Stirling Council burial records 8
  • Other British records 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary C. Riddle

    Buried in 1950 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 86.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Riddle

    Buried in 1817 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 86.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Riddle

    Sapper, Royal Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 28 records for Riddle in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand20 records

20 records of the Riddle name in New Zealand
  • Timaru and Mackenzie District cemetery records 9
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 7
  • Other New Zealand records 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Winifred Huia Riddle

    Died 1995, aged 67; buried at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charles Riddle

    Died 1901, aged 70; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record G. Riddle

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 20 records for Riddle in New Zealand.

Counts: Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands10 records

10 records of the Riddle name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 4
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Catarina Getruij Riddle

    Married in 1827 in Waalwijk; seamstress, born 1798 in 's-Hertogenbosch.

    Open Archives, Streekarchief Langstraat Heusden Altena (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Catharina Geijtruij Riddle

    Died 1834 in Veghel.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Elizabeth Riddle

    Married in 1739 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Riddle in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Riddle name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Frank Edward Riddle

    Born 1916 in the United Kingdom; died 1993 in Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Riddle.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Riddle is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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