Riddle Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Riddle last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Riddle last name
Meaning of the Riddle last name: from Ryedale or Riddell. Riddle is a form of the Scottish surname Riddell, from Riddell in Roxburghshire or Ryedale in Yorkshire, though a Norman nickname may also lie behind it. The family was settled in the Scottish Borders in the 1100s. Ulster-Scots families took the spelling Riddle to Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky. A curious detail of this family name meaning: the last name has nothing to do with puzzles, despite how it sounds.
Arms associated with the Riddle name
Scottish heraldry favours bold figures such as lions, stars and hands, and coats of arms associated with the Riddle surname follow that strong, clear style.
Get your full Riddle family history
This is only a glimpse of the Riddle story. The full Riddle history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Riddle coat of arms. Get the full Riddle report.
Riddle name FAQ
What does the Riddle name mean?
From Ryedale or Riddell. Common variants include Riddell, Ridel, Riddel.
Where does the Riddle surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, England and Canada.
Is there a Riddle coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Riddle coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).