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

Richards, 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 Richards surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Richards in America

Richards is the 228th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Richards surname appeared 130,529 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 44 people would have the surname Richards.

We can also compare 2010 data for Richards 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 Richards

The surname Richards is of English origin, derived from the given name Richard, which is an ancient Germanic name composed of the elements "ric" (meaning power or rule) and "hard" (meaning hardy, brave, or strong). The name is thought to have emerged in England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Richards surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Richardes" and "Richarz." This historic document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, records the names of landowners in England at the time.

The Richards surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire in the southwestern part of England. It is believed that the name may have originated in these regions, as many early bearers of the surname can be traced back to these areas.

During the Middle Ages, the Richards surname appeared in various spellings, including Richardes, Richarz, Richardes, and Ricards, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation at that time.

One notable early bearer of the Richards surname was William Richards, a Welsh soldier and landowner who lived in the late 13th century. He fought alongside Edward I during the Welsh Wars and was granted lands in Carmarthenshire for his service.

In the 16th century, John Richards (c. 1537-1623) was a prominent English writer and clergyman who served as the rector of St. Anne's Church in Aldersgate, London. He authored several influential religious works, including "A Summons to the Lord's Supper" and "A Consolatory Epistle to the Distressed Brethren."

Another prominent figure with the Richards surname was Michael Richards (1673-1737), an English botanist and author of "The Plantarum Genera," an early attempt at classifying plants based on their floral structures.

In the literary world, Samuel Richards (1720-1803) was an English poet and clergyman known for his work "The Ratcliffiad," a satirical poem about the village of Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire.

During the American Revolutionary War, John Richards (1744-1824) was a British soldier and loyalist who served as a captain in the King's American Dragoons. After the war, he emigrated to Nova Scotia, where he became a prominent landowner and politician.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the Richards surname throughout history, demonstrating its long-standing presence and significance in various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Richards

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

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 Richards 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 Richards 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 Richards was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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