2000
#10,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,753
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.02
Rare Last name
Rickett
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of rakes and other agricultural tools.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,163 Americans carry the last name Rickett. That puts it at #11,016 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,364 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rickett 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 Rickett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 108,364
Census rank
#11,016
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,758 bearers of the surname Rickett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11016th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rickett, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references found in various historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rickett
Among Census respondents with the surname Rickett, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rickett 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 Rickett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.9% · 2,232
- Black or African American12.1% · 333
- Two or more races3.6% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rickett
Rickett 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
#11,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,879
+126 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 379 places
2020
#11,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,758
-121 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,665 | 2,753 | 1.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,044 | 2,879 | 0.98 | +126 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 379 places |
| 2020 | #11,016 | 2,758 | 0.92 | -121 bearers (-4.2%) | Up 28 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 Rickett 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 | #11,044 | #11,016 | 0.3% |
| Count | 2,879 | 2,758 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.92 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rickett bearers went from 2,879 to 2,758 (-4.2% change). The surname moved up 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,044 to #11,016.
FAQ
Rickett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rickett?
Name Census estimates that about 3,163 living Americans carry the surname Rickett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,364 residents.
How common is Rickett?
Rickett ranks #11,016 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,758 people with the surname Rickett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,163), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Rickett.
Has Rickett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rickett went from 2,879 recorded bearers to 2,758. That is a decrease of 121 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,044 to #11,016.
What does the Census say about the background of Rickett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rickett, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Rickett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (2,232 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rickett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.9%), Black (12.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Rickett (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 Rickett mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of rakes and other agricultural tools. 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 Rickett (0.92 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 Rickett?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.