2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Richars
A surname derived from the given name Richard, a Germanic name meaning "brave power."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Richars. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Richars 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Richars in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Richars, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Richars
The surname RICHARS has its origins in medieval France and England, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "riche," meaning "rich" or "wealthy." The name may have been given as a descriptive surname to individuals who were perceived as affluent or prosperous during that time period.
RICHARS is thought to have emerged as a variant spelling of the more common surnames Richard and Richards. In the early days of surname adoption, spelling variations were common due to the lack of standardized orthography and the influence of regional dialects.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname RICHARS can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Ricardus" in this important historical document, suggesting its Norman-French origins.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the surname RICHARS was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Sir John RICHARS (c. 1350-1415), a prominent knight and landowner in Nottinghamshire during the reign of Henry IV.
In the 16th century, a branch of the RICHARS family settled in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. The most famous member of this lineage was William RICHARS (1564-1616), a contemporary of William Shakespeare and a respected glover and alderman in the town.
Another notable figure was Sir Richard RICHARS (1573-1636), a prominent merchant and Member of Parliament in the early 17th century. He played a significant role in the establishment of the East India Company and was knighted by King James I in 1618.
During the English Civil War, Colonel John RICHARS (1607-1670) was a staunch Royalist and served in the King's army. He fought in several notable battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645, and was eventually captured by Parliamentary forces.
In the 18th century, the RICHARS family had established roots in various parts of England, as well as in Scotland and Ireland. One distinguished member was Sir James RICHARS (1720-1789), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1762 to 1765.
The surname RICHARS has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Richardscote in Warwickshire and Richardsfields in Yorkshire, further solidifying its historical presence in these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Richars
Among Census respondents with the surname Richars, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Richars 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 Richars surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 87
- Black or African American7.9% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Richars
Richars 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-13 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,740 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-25 bearers (-19.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 17,740 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -25 bearers (-19.8%) | Down 21,407 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 Richars 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 | #133,863 | #155,270 | -16.0% |
| Count | 126 | 101 | -19.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Richars bearers went from 126 to 101 (-19.8% change). The surname moved down 21,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #155,270.
FAQ
Richars surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Richars?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Richars. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Richars?
Richars ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Richars. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Richars.
Has Richars become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Richars went from 126 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 25 (-19.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Richars?
Among Census respondents with the surname Richars, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Richars in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Richars appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Black (7.9%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Richars (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 Richars mean?
A surname derived from the given name Richard, a Germanic name meaning "brave power." 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 Richars (0.03 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 surname Richars?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.