2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ritcherson
A surname derived from a personal name meaning "son of Richard".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Ritcherson. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ritcherson 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.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Ritcherson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritcherson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.8%. The next largest groups are White (42.9%) and Hispanic (8.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ritcherson
The surname Ritcherson has its origins in the northern regions of England, with records indicating its presence dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "rice," meaning a ridge or hill, and "ert," referring to a piece of land. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place or settlement situated on a prominent ridge or elevated terrain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1170, where a certain Richard de Richerton is mentioned. This document, which recorded financial transactions and tax records, provides evidence of the name's existence in the region during that period.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Rycherdeson and Ricardson, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. These alternate spellings further reinforce the idea that the name originated from a particular location or place name.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Ritcherson. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Ricardeston and Ricartun, which could be related to the surname's origins.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Ritcherson. One such person was Sir Thomas Ritcherson (1590-1658), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. Another was William Ritcherson (1720-1795), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Glasgow.
In the literary world, the name is associated with the 19th-century American author and poet, Emily Ritcherson (1825-1886), whose works explored themes of nature and the human condition. Additionally, John Ritcherson (1847-1912), a British explorer and adventurer, is renowned for his expeditions to the Arctic regions and his contributions to the fields of cartography and geography.
The surname Ritcherson has also been carried by individuals in various fields, such as the English botanist and naturalist, Elizabeth Ritcherson (1760-1835), who made significant contributions to the study of plant life, and the French sculptor, Pierre Ritcherson (1810-1879), whose works adorned many public spaces and buildings in Paris.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ritcherson
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritcherson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.8%. The next largest groups are White (42.9%) and Hispanic (8.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ritcherson 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 Ritcherson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American43.8% · 49
- White42.9% · 48
- Hispanic or Latino8.9% · 10
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ritcherson
Ritcherson appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 701 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 701 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 Ritcherson 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 | #147,253 | #147,954 | -0.5% |
| Count | 112 | 112 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ritcherson bearers went from 112 to 112 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 701 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,954.
FAQ
Ritcherson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ritcherson?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Ritcherson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Ritcherson?
Ritcherson ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Ritcherson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ritcherson.
Has Ritcherson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ritcherson went from 112 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Ritcherson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ritcherson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.8%. The next largest groups are White (42.9%) and Hispanic (8.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ritcherson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.8% (49 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ritcherson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (43.8%), White (42.9%), Hispanic (8.9%). 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 Ritcherson (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 Ritcherson mean?
A surname derived from a personal name meaning "son of Richard". 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 Ritcherson (0.04 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 common is the surname Ritcherson?
Find out how common the surname Ritcherson is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.