Ridley
Boy name · #2079 in 2025 · Very rare
Ridley ranks #2079 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 71 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2189, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 25,352 boys born in 2025 was named Ridley.
The 110-year story
Ridley first appears in the Social Security records in 1915, when 8 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2021, when 92 boys were named Ridley — good for #1750 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Ridley per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ridley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ridley in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Ridley is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Ridley will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ridley is most common
State-level data for Ridley is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Ridley
Statistically, parents drawn to Ridley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Radley, Henley, Huntley, Wrigley, and Atley.
RadleyHenleyHuntleyWrigleyAtleyRenleyArleyConley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ridley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 71 | #2077 |
| 2024 | 64 | #2236 |
| 2023 | 72 | #2064 |
| 2022 | 77 | #1981 |
| 2021 | 92 | #1750 |
| 2020 | 79 | #1872 |
| 2019 | 76 | #1938 |
| 2018 | 89 | #1733 |
| 2017 | 72 | #1977 |
| 2016 | 79 | #1875 |
| 2015 | 62 | #2189 |
| 2014 | 68 | #2063 |
| 2013 | 65 | #2065 |
| 2012 | 51 | #2448 |
| 2011 | 39 | #2950 |
| 2010 | 51 | #2429 |
| 2009 | 41 | #2894 |
| 2008 | 37 | #3103 |
| 2007 | 23 | #4243 |
| 2006 | 25 | #3888 |
| 2005 | 20 | #4326 |
| 2004 | 28 | #3368 |
| 2003 | 21 | #3976 |
| 2002 | 15 | #4919 |
| 2001 | 13 | #5390 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ridley a popular boy name?
Ridley ranked #2079 among boys in 2025 with 71 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2189.
When was the name Ridley most popular?
Ridley peaked in 2021, when 92 American boys received the name (ranked #1750 that year). Since 2021 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Ridley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 25,352 newborn American boys was named Ridley. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.