2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Richar
A surname stemming from the given name Richard, derived from the Germanic elements "ric" meaning ruler and "hard" meaning hardy or strong.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Richar. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Richar 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.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Richar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Richar, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Richar
The surname Richar is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French name Richard, which itself comes from the Germanic elements "ric" meaning powerful or brave, and "hard" meaning hardy or strong. The name Richard was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Richar can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Richart in the county of Gloucestershire.
By the 13th century, the surname Richar had spread to various parts of England, with variations in spelling such as Richer, Richier, and Richer appearing in historical records. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire.
One notable bearer of the surname was Sir John Richar, a 14th-century English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He was awarded lands in Gloucestershire for his military service.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Richar family settled in the village of Deddington, Oxfordshire. The parish records of Deddington Church mention several Richars, including William Richar, who was born in 1542.
Another significant figure with the surname Richar was Sir Thomas Richar, a 17th-century English politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucester. He was born in 1609 and played a prominent role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
The surname Richar also has a long history in Scotland, where it is believed to have been introduced by Norman settlers. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was Robert Richar, a 15th-century merchant and burgess of Aberdeen, who is mentioned in the burgh records of the city.
While the surname Richar is not as common today as it once was, it remains an important part of the historical record, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that have shaped England and other parts of the British Isles over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Richar
Among Census respondents with the surname Richar, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Richar 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 Richar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 99
- Black or African American6.7% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Richar
Richar 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-14 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,209 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+9 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 22,209 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 6,607 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 Richar 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 | #149,395 | #142,788 | 4.4% |
| Count | 110 | 119 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Richar bearers went from 110 to 119 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 6,607 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #142,788.
FAQ
Richar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Richar?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Richar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Richar?
Richar ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Richar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Richar.
Has Richar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Richar went from 110 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 9 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Richar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Richar, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Richar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Richar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Black (6.7%), Hispanic (5.9%). 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 Richar (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 Richar mean?
A surname stemming from the given name Richard, derived from the Germanic elements "ric" meaning ruler and "hard" meaning hardy or strong. 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 Richar (0.04 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 have the last name Richar?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Richar at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.