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

Ritchey, 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 Ritchey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ritchey in America

Ritchey is the 4019th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ritchey surname appeared 8,844 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Ritchey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ritchey 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 Ritchey

The surname Ritchey is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ricg," which means "ridge," referring to a person who lived near a ridge or hill. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1273, where it appeared as "Richeus."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England, there is mention of a place called "Richefeld" in Derbyshire, which may have contributed to the formation of the surname. This suggests that the name was initially a locational name, referring to someone who hailed from a place called Ritchey or a similar-sounding name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Ritchey was William Ritchey, born in 1425 in Yorkshire, England. He was a landowner and farmer who is mentioned in local records from that time.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Ritchie, Ritchy, and Ritchee, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. During this period, John Ritchey (1520-1588) was a notable figure from Gloucestershire, England, who served as a member of the local council.

As the surname spread across England, it was also associated with notable individuals like Thomas Ritchey (1640-1712), a respected merchant and ship owner from Bristol, and Elizabeth Ritchey (1675-1745), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Northamptonshire.

In the 18th century, the Ritchey surname found its way to other parts of the world through emigration. One notable figure was William Ritchey (1725-1802), a Scottish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Another significant individual with this surname was Sir Charles Ritchey (1795-1872), a British naval officer who played a crucial role in the Battle of Navarino during the Greek War of Independence in 1827. His bravery and leadership earned him widespread recognition and several honors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ritchey

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

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

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

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