RICHARD
Richard is a surname of Germanic origin, deriving from the ancient personal name Ricard. The name is constructed from the elements ric, meaning “ruler” or “king”, and hard, signifying “brave” or “strong”. Combined, the term conveys the notion of a “brave power” or a “strong ruler”.
The surname developed as a patronymic form of the given name Richard. It was introduced to England by the Normans following the conquest of 1066, appearing in the Anglo‑Norman form Ricard. The adoption of the name as a hereditary surname spread rapidly during the High Middle Ages.
The earliest documentary evidence of the surname appears in the Oxfordshire Hundred Rolls of 1276, where a man named Thomas Richard is recorded. This confirms the use of Richard as a family name by the late thirteenth century.
Numerous variant spellings of the surname have been documented. These include Richards, Ritchard, Richardes, Ricards, and Ricarde, all of which can be understood as indicating “son of Richard”. Such variations reflect regional pronunciation differences and the fluidity of spelling in medieval England.
Further medieval records illustrate the persistence of the name. Anne Richardes was christened on 13 January 1542 at St. Andrew Hubbard with St. Mary at Hill, London, and Arthur Richardes was christened on 14 March 1564 at St. Margaret Lothbury, London. These entries attest to the continued use of the surname in the early modern period.
The name also appears in early modern migration records. One John Richards is listed as an emigrant at the Port of London in August 1635, bound for Virginia. His departure exemplifies the dispersal of families carrying the Richard surname across the Atlantic during the seventeenth century.
In contemporary times, the surname Richard is found worldwide. It often signals descent from an ancestor bearing the given name Richard or from a lineage that adopted the patronymic form. Owing to its long history and widespread adoption, the surname remains common in English-speaking countries and beyond.
Typical given names associated with the Richard surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Antonia
- Christine
- Jane
- Janet
- Julie
- Katherine
- Louise
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
- Venessa
Similar and related surnames
- Dick
- Dickson
- Dix
- Dickison
- Dicks
- Dickeson
- Hitchcox
- Hitchins
- Ricard
- Ricks
- Richey
- Richie
- Ritchie
- Richards
- Richardson
- Rickard
- Rix
- Rixon
- Rickards
- Richar
- Reichard
- Richa
- Richarde
- Richardo
- Rchards
- Rechard
- Rechert
- Reichardt
- Reichart
- Reichert
- Richardes
- Richardon
- Richardsen
- Richardss
- Richardt
- Richardwood
- Richars
- Richart
- Richartz
- Richarz
- Richau
- Richaud
- Richer
- Richerd
- Richerds
- Richerdson
- Richers
- Richert
- Richiardi
- Richier
- Richords
- Richward
- Rickhard
- Rickhards
- Riechert
- Ritchard
- Ritchards
- Ritchardson
- Ritcher
- Rochard
- Rychert
- Richford
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Richard in...
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There are approximately 2,514 people named Richard in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,494th most common surname in Britain. Around 39 in a million people in Britain are named Richard.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Region of origin: Europe
Famous people named Richard
- Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester - Youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary
- Wendy Richard - Actress (1943 to 2009)
- Richard - Monarch (1452 to 1485)
- Cliff Richard - Pop singer, musician, and actor
- Richard - King of England (1367 to 1400)
- Eric Richard - Actor
- Richard - King of the Romans, Earl of Cornwall (1209 to 1272)
- Emily Richard - Actress
- Ivor Richard, Baron Richard - Politician (1932 to 2018)
- Alison Richard - Academic
- Graham Anthony Richard - Test and County cricketer (1929 to 1995)
- Richard - Cricketer (1919 to 1987)
- Jeffery Richard - Sociologist
- Richard - Football player (1941 to 2018)
- Richard - Cricketer (1873 to 1946)
- Marthe Richard - French politician, prostitute and spy (1889 to 1982)
- Richard - Speedway rider
- William Richard - Adventurer (1872 to 1)
- Timothy Richard - Missionary (1845 to 1919)
- Henry Richard - Politician (1812 to 1888)
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.