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

Riche, 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 Riche surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Riche in America

Riche is the 17063rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Riche surname appeared 1,664 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Riche.

We can also compare 2010 data for Riche 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 Riche

The surname Riche originates from France and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is thought to derive from the Old French word "riche", meaning wealthy or rich. This suggests that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who was prosperous or of high social standing.

Early recordings of the name can be found in documents such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "le Riche" and "Riche". These entries suggest that the name was present in parts of Normandy and northern France during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is that of Robert le Riche, a Norman landowner who is mentioned in the Domesday Book as holding estates in Wiltshire, England, after the Norman conquest. Another early bearer of the name was Walter le Riche, who lived in Oxfordshire, England, in the late 12th century.

The name Riche has also been associated with various place names, such as Richeville in Normandy, France, and Richecourt in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Riche who owned or resided in those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname Riche include:

1. Sir Thomas Riche (1490-1568), an English courtier and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII.
2. Edmond Riche (1559-1637), an English clergyman and scholar who became the Bishop of Winchester.
3. Barnabe Riche (1542-1617), an English soldier and writer who is best known for his works "Riche His Farewell to Military Profession" and "A Souldiers Wishe to Britons Welfare."
4. Claude Riche (1639-1696), a French playwright and actor who wrote several successful comedies in the 17th century.
5. Charles Alexander Riche (1762-1838), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte and rose to the rank of general.

While the surname Riche has French origins, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and migration. However, this report focuses solely on the historical roots and early bearers of the surname within its country of origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Riche

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

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

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

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