Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Red(e)lesden(e) 1086 DB p.1166 Kirkst l.12 1227 FF

• Red(e)lesden(e) in Ayredale 1362 FF

• Rid(e)lesden(e), Ryd(e)lesden(e) p.1166 Kirkst 1190–1200 e.13 YChvii 13 Drax45d 1320 Whit 1450 Pat 1582 YDii

• West Ryd(e)lesden(e) 1577 WillY

• West Riddlesden 1581 WYD

• Reclesden (sic for Retlesden) 1254 Pat

• Retlesden 1293 QW

• Rydilsden, Rydelsden 1467 WillY 1572 FF

• Riddelsden, Ryddelsden 1543 Testvi

• West Ryddelsden 1564 Visit

Etymology

'Rēthel's valley', v. denu . The first el. is an OE  pers.n. Rēðel or Hrēðel evidently occurring also in Riddlesworth Nf, Ridlington Nf, Rillington YE 138 and Ringwould K; it may have been either Rēðel (a derivative of OE  rēðe 'fierce') or Hrēðel , recorded only as a heroic pers.n. in Beowulf (from hrēð 'victory'); the ME  spellings with Ridles - presuppose an OE, ME ē (raised and shortened to -ĭ - before the dental); OE  Rædel , once found as a moneyer's name, is doubtful as it appears to be an error for Wædel .