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

Ricketson, 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 Ricketson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ricketson in America

Ricketson is the 19731st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ricketson surname appeared 1,365 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 Ricketson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ricketson 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 Ricketson

The surname Ricketson is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ric" and "tun," meaning "rich" and "farm" or "settlement," respectively. This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived or owned a prosperous farm or estate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ricketson can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Ricardestone," which is likely an early spelling variation of the surname.

In the 13th century, records show a John de Riketteston residing in Gloucestershire, England. This spelling variation provides further evidence of the name's evolution over time. Additionally, the presence of the "de" prefix indicates that the name was originally associated with a specific place or location.

During the 14th century, the surname Ricketson began to appear more frequently in historical records. One notable individual was William Ricketson, a landowner and prominent figure in the county of Somerset, England, born around 1320.

As the centuries progressed, the Ricketson name continued to spread across various regions of England. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the county of Devon, where they established themselves as successful merchants and landowners. One notable member of this branch was Sir Thomas Ricketson (1521-1587), a wealthy merchant and alderman of the city of Exeter.

Another notable figure bearing the Ricketson surname was Daniel Ricketson (1813-1898), an American author, poet, and naturalist from Massachusetts. He was a close friend and correspondent of Henry David Thoreau and played a significant role in preserving Thoreau's legacy.

In the 19th century, the Ricketson name also gained prominence in Australia, where several families with this surname had settled and established themselves in various professions and industries. One such individual was Sir Harry Ricketson (1851-1928), a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Melbourne.

While the Ricketson surname has evolved over time and spread across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the rich agricultural heritage of medieval England, where it initially referred to those who owned or lived on prosperous farms or settlements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ricketson

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

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

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

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