2000
#2,370
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,004
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.19
Uncommon Last name
Ryder
An occupational surname referring to a mounted warrior or messenger, or one who rides horses.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,910 Americans carry the last name Ryder. That puts it at #2,539 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,543 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ryder surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ryder with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,543
Census rank
#2,539
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,874 bearers of the surname Ryder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2539th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ryder, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ryder
The surname Ryder is of English origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ridere," which means "mounted warrior" or "rider." This occupation-based surname was initially given to those who were skilled horsemen, likely employed as messengers or soldiers.
The earliest recorded instances of the Ryder surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with mentions in various historical documents and records. One notable example is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a "Willelmus le Ridere" in Oxfordshire.
In the 14th century, the Ryder surname appeared in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, where a "Johannes Ryder" was listed in 1379. This indicates that the surname had become more widespread and established by that time.
The Domesday Book, a valuable historical record compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Ryder surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the surname's development, such as Ryder's Green in Buckinghamshire and Ryder's Farm in Hertfordshire.
Over the centuries, the Ryder surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Rider, Ryder, Ryder, and Ryder. Some notable individuals with this surname include:
1. Sir Dudley Ryder (1691-1756), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
2. Albert Pinkham Ryder (1847-1917), an American painter known for his poetic and symbolic works.
3. Winona Ryder (born 1971), an American actress known for her roles in films like "Heathers," "Edward Scissorhands," and "Little Women."
4. John Ryder (1598-1665), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Bishop of Down and Connor.
5. Sir Alfred Ryder (1865-1939), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Ryder Cup, a prestigious golf tournament.
While the Ryder surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ryder
Among Census respondents with the surname Ryder, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ryder bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ryder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 12,219
- Two or more races4.1% · 575
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 462
- Black or African American2.7% · 381
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 152
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 85
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ryder
Ryder appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,228
+224 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 4.82
Rank movement Down 174 places
2020
#2,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,874
-354 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 4.64
Rank movement Up 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,370 | 14,004 | 5.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,544 | 14,228 | 4.82 | +224 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 174 places |
| 2020 | #2,539 | 13,874 | 4.64 | -354 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 5 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ryder surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,544 | #2,539 | 0.2% |
| Count | 14,228 | 13,874 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 4.82 | 4.64 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ryder bearers went from 14,228 to 13,874 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,544 to #2,539.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ryder
FAQ
Ryder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ryder?
Name Census estimates that about 15,910 living Americans carry the surname Ryder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,543 residents.
How common is Ryder?
Ryder ranks #2,539 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,874 people with the surname Ryder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,910), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Ryder.
Has Ryder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ryder went from 14,228 recorded bearers to 13,874. That is a decrease of 354 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,544 to #2,539.
What does the Census say about the background of Ryder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ryder, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ryder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (12,219 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ryder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ryder (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ryder mean?
An occupational surname referring to a mounted warrior or messenger, or one who rides horses. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ryder (4.64 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Ryder?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.