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

Richey, 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 Richey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Richey in America

Richey is the 1977th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Richey surname appeared 18,296 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Richey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Richey 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 Richey

The surname Richey has its origins in England and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "ric" meaning powerful and "ey" meaning an island or dry ground. This surname likely originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived on a wealthy or well-off island or land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Richeus in Gloucestershire. The name was also present in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195, referencing a William Richey.

During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as Riche, Richi, and Richy. It was particularly prevalent in counties like Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset in the southwest of England. Some notable early bearers of the name include Sir John Richey, a knight who fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

As the centuries progressed, the spelling of the surname evolved and became more standardized as Richey. In the 16th century, records show a Richey family residing in the village of Ashbury in Berkshire. During this time, the name also spread to other parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lancashire.

One notable figure from the 17th century was Sir Thomas Richey, a merchant and alderman of London, who lived from 1602 to 1679. In the 18th century, Reverend John Richey, born in 1718, was a prominent clergyman and author from County Antrim, Ireland.

Moving into the 19th century, Michael Richey, born in 1817, was an Irish mathematician and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of geometry. Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Richey, an American politician from Ohio, who served as a U.S. Representative from 1847 to 1853.

Throughout its history, the surname Richey has also been associated with various place names, such as Richey Creek in Missouri and Richey County in Montana, both named after individuals with the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Richey

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

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

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

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