2000
#11,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,434
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Richer
An occupational surname referring to a wealthy or powerful person, or one who worked as a money lender.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,595 Americans carry the last name Richer. That puts it at #12,976 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Richer 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Richer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 132,083
Census rank
#12,976
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,263 bearers of the surname Richer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12976th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Richer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Richer
The surname Richer is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "riche," meaning "rich" or "wealthy." It was initially used as a descriptive surname to denote someone who was affluent or possessed significant wealth.
The earliest recorded instances of the Richer surname can be traced back to the 12th century in the regions of Normandy and Brittany, France. During this time, many French surnames emerged, often reflecting occupations, physical characteristics, or places of origin.
In the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, several entries mention individuals with the surname Richer, suggesting its presence in medieval England following the Norman Conquest.
One notable early bearer of the Richer surname was Edmond Richer (1559-1631), a French theologian and Gallican theorist who played a significant role in the controversies surrounding the doctrine of papal infallibility. His writings and teachings had a lasting impact on the debates over the relationship between Church and State in France.
Jean Richer (1630-1696), a French astronomer and mathematician, made important contributions to the study of geodesy and the measurement of the Earth's shape. He was elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1689.
In the 18th century, François Richer (1726-1798) was a French painter and engraver known for his portraits and historical scenes. His works are held in various museums, including the Louvre in Paris.
The Richer name also appeared in literary circles with Charles François Richer (1780-1849), a French playwright and dramatist who wrote several popular comedies and vaudevilles during his career.
During the 19th century, Louis Richer (1804-1891) was a renowned French architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Paris, including the Gare de l'Est railway station and the Church of Saint-Augustin.
While the Richer surname is primarily French in origin, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and settlement patterns. However, its earliest recorded instances and historical significance remain rooted in the regions of France, particularly Normandy and Brittany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Richer
Among Census respondents with the surname Richer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Richer 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 Richer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 2,010
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 114
- Two or more races3.8% · 86
- Black or African American1.5% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Richer
Richer 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
#12,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,513
+79 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 590 places
2020
#12,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,263
-250 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 598 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,788 | 2,434 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,378 | 2,513 | 0.85 | +79 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 590 places |
| 2020 | #12,976 | 2,263 | 0.76 | -250 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 598 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 Richer 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 | #12,378 | #12,976 | -4.8% |
| Count | 2,513 | 2,263 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.76 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Richer bearers went from 2,513 to 2,263 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 598 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,378 to #12,976.
FAQ
Richer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Richer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,595 living Americans carry the surname Richer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,083 residents.
How common is Richer?
Richer ranks #12,976 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,263 people with the surname Richer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,595), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Richer.
Has Richer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Richer went from 2,513 recorded bearers to 2,263. That is a decrease of 250 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,378 to #12,976.
What does the Census say about the background of Richer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Richer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Richer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (2,010 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Richer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Richer (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 Richer mean?
An occupational surname referring to a wealthy or powerful person, or one who worked as a money lender. 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 Richer (0.76 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 Richer?
Want to know how many people have the last name Richer? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.