RECORD
Record is a surname that originates from a blend of English, French and Germanic linguistic roots. It has been documented in England since the early thirteenth century and appears in the records of the British Isles following the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The earliest surviving reference to the name is that of Robert Rikeward in a document dated 1101, recorded within the social and economic history of the Danelaw. The variant spelling is believed to be the original form from which future orthographies evolved.
Scholars trace the name from several medieval sources. In Middle English the word recorde signified a clerk or scribe who kept accounts, suggesting that some bearers of the surname were involved in legal or administrative record–keeping. An alternative derivation is from Old French recorde, meaning a boundary or landmark, implying a topographic origin for certain families that lived near such features. Finally, the name may be a variant of the Norman personal name Ricard, itself derived from the Germanic elements ric meaning power and wald meaning rule, pointing to a possible association with a “powerful ruler.”
Notable historical figures include Robert Recorde (1510‑1558), a mathematician renowned for introducing the equals sign, and John Record, who was christened on 12 April 1604 at St James Church, Old Fish Street, London. Earlier, Walter Rykeward appears in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1275 and Roger Record is found among wills proved in the Consistory Court of Norwich in 1393.
Geographically, the surname remains most prevalent in England, especially within the North West Midlands, Kent, and South East regions. In the United Kingdom the name is also recorded in Wiltshire, Lancashire, Shropshire, Devon, Cornwall and the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. In continental Europe it appears in France as Recort or Rècord, in Spain as Ricor, and in Germany as Reckard. Outside of the British Isles the name is common in the United States (particularly New York, California, Florida and Texas), Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where the spelling is normally preserved as Record.
Spelling variations have arisen over centuries of immigration and clerical recording. Common variants include Rekord, Recorde, Reecorde, Recort and Rècord. These differences do not alter the fundamental heritage of the name but reflect regional linguistic preferences and historical orthographic practices.
Typical given names associated with the Record surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Matthew
- Neil
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Stuart
- Thomas
Female
- Avril
- Celia
- Deborah
- Elaine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Hayley
- Janet
- Jennifer
- Mary
- Michelle
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Record in...
Braille
⠗⠑⠉⠕⠗⠙
Morse
.-..-.-.---.-.-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 544 people named Record in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around eight in a million people in Britain are named Record.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Record
- Josh Record - Singer-songwriter
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.