2000
#4,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,803
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.52
Rare Last name
Richman
A descriptive surname referring to someone who was wealthy or a man of means.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,888 Americans carry the last name Richman. That puts it at #5,587 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,761 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Richman 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 Richman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.9K
1 in 49,761
Census rank
#5,587
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,007 bearers of the surname Richman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5587th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Richman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Richman
The surname RICHMAN is of English origin, derived from the occupation of a wealthy or prosperous person. It is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, when surnames derived from occupations and personal characteristics became more common.
The name RICHMAN can be traced back to the Old English word "rice," meaning powerful or wealthy, and the word "man," referring to a person. It was likely used to identify individuals who held positions of wealth or authority within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname RICHMAN can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled for taxation purposes in medieval England. The name appears as "Richemannus" in these rolls, indicating its use as a surname during that time.
In the 14th century, the surname RICHMAN appears in various historical records, such as the Poll Tax returns of 1379, where it is listed as "Riccheman" and "Rycheman." These variations in spelling were common during the Middle Ages, as standardized spelling had not yet been established.
The surname RICHMAN also has connections to place names. For example, there is a village in Buckinghamshire, England, called Richmansworth, which is believed to have derived its name from the presence of wealthy landowners or individuals with the surname RICHMAN in the area.
Notable individuals throughout history with the surname RICHMAN include:
1. John Richman (c. 1600-1670), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of Ipswich in Suffolk.
2. William Richman (1708-1784), a British architect known for his work on the Church of St. George in Bloomsbury, London.
3. Isaac Richman (1783-1853), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
4. Eliza Richman (1851-1920), an American educator and philanthropist who founded the Richman School for Girls in Hartford, Connecticut.
5. Benjamin Richman (1876-1956), a British artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
The surname RICHMAN has a rich history that spans several centuries, with its origins rooted in the occupational and social status of individuals in medieval England. While its spelling may have varied over time, the name has remained a part of historical records and has been carried by notable figures across different fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Richman
Among Census respondents with the surname Richman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Richman 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 Richman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 5,451
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 189
- Two or more races2.6% · 154
- Black or African American2.4% · 146
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Richman
Richman 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
#5,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,583
-220 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 2.23
Rank movement Down 524 places
2020
#5,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,007
-576 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Down 298 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,765 | 6,803 | 2.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,289 | 6,583 | 2.23 | -220 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 524 places |
| 2020 | #5,587 | 6,007 | 2.01 | -576 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 298 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 Richman 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 | #5,289 | #5,587 | -5.6% |
| Count | 6,583 | 6,007 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.23 | 2.01 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Richman bearers went from 6,583 to 6,007 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 298 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,289 to #5,587.
FAQ
Richman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Richman?
Name Census estimates that about 6,888 living Americans carry the surname Richman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,761 residents.
How common is Richman?
Richman ranks #5,587 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,007 people with the surname Richman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,888), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Richman.
Has Richman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Richman went from 6,583 recorded bearers to 6,007. That is a decrease of 576 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,289 to #5,587.
What does the Census say about the background of Richman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Richman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Richman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (5,451 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Richman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Richman (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 Richman mean?
A descriptive surname referring to someone who was wealthy or a man of means. 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 Richman (2.01 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 share the surname Richman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.