Find out how popular the last name Rich is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rich.

Rich, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rich surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rich in America

Rich is the 696th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rich surname appeared 49,481 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Rich.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rich to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rich

The surname Rich is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "rice" or "riche," meaning wealthy or powerful. It was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was affluent or held a position of authority within their community.

The earliest recorded instances of the Rich surname can be traced back to the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. One of the earliest known references appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landholders and tenants across England at the time.

During the Middle Ages, the Rich surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire, where many individuals bearing the name were documented in various records and charters. Some notable examples include Richard le Rich, a landowner in Oxfordshire mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1197, and Osbert le Rich, a resident of Berkshire noted in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201.

As the surname spread across England, it also gave rise to various place names, such as Richborough in Kent, derived from the Old English "rice" meaning wealthy, and the village of Richmondshire in North Yorkshire, which was originally known as "Richmundwic" or "the wealthy monastery town."

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Rich surname. One of the most prominent was Sir Richard Rich (1496-1567), a lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of England under Edward VI. Another was Christopher Rich (1567-1619), an English actor and entrepreneur who established one of the first purpose-built theatres in London, known as the Red Bull Theatre.

In the 18th century, Sir Claudius Rich (1708-1786) was a prominent British merchant and politician who played a significant role in establishing the East India Company's trade in the Persian Gulf region. His son, Sir Robert Rich (1742-1804), was a notable naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.

During the 19th century, Jeremiah Rich (1795-1868) was a prominent American businessman and abolitionist who co-founded the Boston-based firm of Rich & Co., one of the largest hide and leather firms in the United States at the time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rich

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rich.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rich was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rich has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rich was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rich, please contact us.

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