Surname Ridenhour - Meaning and Origin
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Ridenhour: What does the surname Ridenhour mean?
The surname Ridenhour is of German origin, deriving from the Middle Low German term “ridder” meaning "knight", and “uhr” or “hora” meaning "hour". Thus, it can be interpreted as "hour of the knight" or "knight's hour". It is a habitational name that possibly referred to a family or person living in a place where knights gathered at a specific time, or it could be an occupational name for a timekeeper of sorts for knights. Like many surnames, the exact meaning can be somewhat speculative due to changes and variations in spelling over centuries. It is also important to note that meanings can vary based on geographical regions and cultural interpretations.
Order DNA origin analysisRidenhour: Where does the name Ridenhour come from?
The last name Ridenhour is primarily found in the United States of America. According to the US Census data, the surname is most prevalent in South Carolina, where 5,300 people have the name. In fact, South Carolina is the only state to report that more than 1,000 people have the name. Other states with large concentrations of the name include Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Alabama.
The name is also widespread across other parts of the world. There are approximately 500 people with the name in Great Britain and approximately 300 people with the name in Canada. Other countries that have significant populations of the name include Australia, New Zealand, and France.
The surname is more common among white families than among any other race, but it is still a relatively uncommon name compared to other more popular surnames in the United States. As the name has been around since the 1800s, it has developed a variety of alternate spellings, such as Ridinnhour, Reidenhour, Ryddinhour, Rythenour, Redenhour, and Radinhour.
Variations of the surname Ridenhour
The surname Ridenhour can have various spellings and variants, mainly due to the slight differences in languages when converting the name from one tongue to another. Some common variants include Ridenhower, Ridenour, Ridenour, Ridenshauer, Riedenauer, Reidenauer, Riddanhour, Rideanhour, Ridenhauer, and Redenhour.
This surname was originally of German descent, with one of its original spellings being "Riedenauer". It derived from the German nickname Ried, meaning "reedy" or "thicket". As the surname traveled over the centuries, it would often change and morph into additional variants due to regional dialects and mishearings.
Today, the surname is found across many countries, and while the origins remain the same, some slight modifications could have occurred over the years. For example, a branch of family members could have traveled to England or the United States and adapted the surname slightly.
No matter which spelling a person with Ridenhour ancestry has, the name still remains of German origin and can be linked to a shared family tree.
Famous people with the name Ridenhour
- Chuck D (Carlton Douglas Ridenhour), American rapper
- Maya Ridenhour, American digital marketing specialist
- Aaron Ridenhour, American producer and director
- Aminah Ridenhour, American musician
- Ken Ridenhour, American television producer
- Tom Ridenhour, American businessman
- Lawrence Ridenhour, American filmmaker
- Jeff Ridenhour, American photographer
- Reginald Ridenhour, American artist
- Robert Ridenhour, American musician and composer