Rickett last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Rickett

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of rakes and other agricultural tools.

Rickett, 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 Rickett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rickett in America

Rickett is the 11044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rickett surname appeared 2,879 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 Rickett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rickett 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 11044 10665 3.49%
Count 2,879 2,753 4.47%
Proportion per 100k 0.98 1.02 -4.00%

The history of the last name Rickett

The surname Rickett is an English name that originated in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ricc," meaning "rich" or "powerful." The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references found in various historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273.

Rickett is considered a locational surname, suggesting that it may have been associated with a particular place or region. One possibility is that the name originated from a place called Rickett Wood, located in Buckinghamshire. This area was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Buckinghamshire in 1296, indicating a long-standing connection between the name and the location.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Rickett appeared in various forms, including Rykett, Ricket, and Rikett, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common at the time. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Rickett was John Rickett, who lived in the late 16th century. He was a landowner and prominent resident of Gateshead, County Durham. Records from the era mention him as a significant figure in the local community.

In the 17th century, the name Rickett gained further recognition with the exploits of Sir Andrew Rickett (1598-1672). He was an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham during the English Civil War. Sir Andrew Rickett played a crucial role in the conflict, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.

Another individual of note was Robert Rickett (1688-1736), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas. His work includes the St. George's Church in Bloomsbury, which is considered a masterpiece of English Baroque architecture.

In the 19th century, the surname Rickett was associated with William Rickett (1827-1910), a prominent British industrialist and entrepreneur. He founded the Rickett Cocoa and Chocolate Company, which became a major manufacturer of chocolate products in the United Kingdom.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Charles Rickett (1851-1921), an English artist, and book designer. He was a central figure in the English Arts and Crafts movement and is renowned for his pioneering work in the field of book illustration and typography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rickett

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

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 Rickett was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 84.02% 2,419
Non-Hispanic Black Only 11.67% 336
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.49% 14
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.56% 16
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.56% 45
Hispanic Origin 1.70% 49

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 Rickett has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 84.02% 86.31% -2.69%
Black 11.67% 10.50% 10.55%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.49% 0.44% 10.75%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.56% 0.51% 9.35%
Two or More Races 1.56% 1.27% 20.49%
Hispanic 1.70% 0.98% 53.73%

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

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

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"Rickett last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/rickett-surname-popularity/.

"Rickett last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/rickett-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Rickett last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/rickett-surname-popularity/.

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