2000
#1,887
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,474
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.48
Uncommon Last name
Ricks
Derived from the medieval personal name Rick or Ric, a short form of Richard, meaning "powerful ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,985 Americans carry the last name Ricks. That puts it at #1,927 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,333 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ricks 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 Ricks with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,333
Census rank
#1,927
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,300 bearers of the surname Ricks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1927th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ricks, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.7%. The next largest groups are Black (45.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ricks
The surname Ricks has its origins in England, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ric," meaning powerful or wealthy. This name was likely given as a descriptive surname to individuals who possessed notable wealth or status during that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ricks can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a William Ric was mentioned. This early record suggests that the name had already gained traction as a surname by the late 12th century.
As the surname Ricks spread across England, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Rickes, Rix, and Rixe. These different spellings often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name.
The Ricks surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Ricks Marsh in Kent and Rixtown in Staffordshire. These place names may have influenced the adoption of the surname by families residing in those areas.
Notable individuals who bore the Ricks surname throughout history include Richard Ricks (c. 1560 - 1636), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Dunwich. Another prominent figure was Thomas Ricks (1676 - 1744), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Norfolk.
In the literary world, Reverend Martin Ricks (1742 - 1812) was a respected scholar and author who published several works on theology and philosophy. His contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time earned him recognition among his contemporaries.
During the 19th century, William Ricks (1816 - 1892) made a name for himself as a successful businessman and industrialist in the textile industry. His factories and mills played a significant role in the economic development of his region.
One of the most notable figures bearing the Ricks surname was the American military officer and strategist, Thomas E. Ricks (born 1963). As a prominent journalist and author, he has written extensively on military affairs and served as a respected commentator on national security issues.
While the Ricks surname may have originated from humble beginnings, it has been carried forward by individuals who have left their mark on various fields throughout history, from politics and business to literature and military strategy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ricks
Among Census respondents with the surname Ricks, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.7%. The next largest groups are Black (45.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ricks 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 Ricks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White45.7% · 8,354
- Black or African American45.4% · 8,315
- Two or more races4.9% · 904
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 576
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 90
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 61
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ricks
Ricks 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
#1,950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,506
+1,032 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 6.27
Rank movement Down 63 places
2020
#1,927
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,300
-206 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 6.12
Rank movement Up 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,887 | 17,474 | 6.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,950 | 18,506 | 6.27 | +1,032 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 63 places |
| 2020 | #1,927 | 18,300 | 6.12 | -206 bearers (-1.1%) | Up 23 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 Ricks 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 | #1,950 | #1,927 | 1.2% |
| Count | 18,506 | 18,300 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 6.27 | 6.12 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ricks bearers went from 18,506 to 18,300 (-1.1% change). The surname moved up 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,950 to #1,927.
FAQ
Ricks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ricks?
Name Census estimates that about 20,985 living Americans carry the surname Ricks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,333 residents.
How common is Ricks?
Ricks ranks #1,927 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,300 people with the surname Ricks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,985), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Ricks.
Has Ricks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ricks went from 18,506 recorded bearers to 18,300. That is a decrease of 206 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,950 to #1,927.
What does the Census say about the background of Ricks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ricks, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.7%. The next largest groups are Black (45.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Ricks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.7% (8,354 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ricks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (45.7%), Black (45.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Ricks (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 Ricks mean?
Derived from the medieval personal name Rick or Ric, a short form of Richard, meaning "powerful ruler." 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 Ricks (6.12 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 Americans have the surname Ricks?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.