Richbow last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Richbow

A combination surname likely derived from words meaning "prosperous" and "archer."

Richbow, 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 Richbow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Richbow in America

Richbow is the 126765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Richbow surname appeared 135 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Richbow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Richbow 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 126765 119644 5.78%
Count 135 134 0.74%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.05 0.00%

The history of the last name Richbow

The surname RICHBOW has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "rice" meaning wealthy or powerful, and "boga" meaning archer or bowman. The name likely referred to a skilled archer or bowman in the service of a wealthy noble or landowner.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1194, where a Richard le Ricbowe is mentioned as a tenant in Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a specific occupation or role within a noble household.

By the 13th century, the name had spread to various parts of England, with variations in spelling such as Richebowe, Richebugh, and Richebow. In the Pipe Rolls of 1230, a William Richebow is recorded as a landowner in Lincolnshire.

The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. In the Yorkshire Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1301, several individuals with the name RICHBOW are listed as taxpayers, including John Richebowe and Robert Richebugh.

One notable historical figure bearing the name was Sir William Richbow (c. 1450-1518), a knight and landowner from Lancashire. He served as a member of the Privy Council under King Henry VII and was known for his military service during the Wars of the Roses.

Another individual of note was John Richbow (c. 1520-1589), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York. He served as Lord Mayor of York in 1570 and was a significant benefactor to the city, endowing funds for the maintenance of local churches and almshouses.

In the 16th century, the RICHBOW name also appeared in various parish records across England, such as the baptism of Elizabeth Richbow in St. Martin's Church, Birmingham, in 1587.

As the centuries progressed, the name continued to be found in various parts of England, with some individuals migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. Notable bearers of the name in later centuries include Thomas Richbow (1652-1723), a prominent lawyer and landowner in Oxfordshire, and Captain James Richbow (1734-1803), a naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Richbow

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

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 Richbow was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Black Only 93.33% 126
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 3.70% 5

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 Richbow has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Black 93.33% 97.01% -3.87%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 3.70% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Richbow last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/richbow-surname-popularity/.

"Richbow last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/richbow-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Richbow last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/richbow-surname-popularity/.

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