RICKETTS
The surname Ricketts is firmly of English origin, having first appeared among the peoples of the British Isles during the Middle Ages.
Its primary derivation is from the medieval personal name Richard, a Germanic name composed of the elements ric, meaning power, and hard, meaning brave or strong. In Victorian usage the diminutive suffix -et was applied, giving the sense of “little Richard.” Consequently the name was adopted as a patronymic surname by descendants who were identified as belonging to, or being relatives of, an ancestor named Richard.
Alternative explanations, drawn from older English, link Ricketts to the word ricket, a term that historically denoted a severe form of childhood malnutrition characterised by bone weakness. From this semantic field the surname came to describe a person who was tall, thin and seemingly frail. Although this derivation is largely metaphorical, it has been recorded as a medieval nickname before becoming a fixed family name.
In the post‑Conquest period, the name was frequently anglicised from Norman introductions such as Richier and Ricċ, further establishing its Germanic roots. The surname is likewise associated with the Viscounts St Vincent, an English line whose family name is recorded as Ricketts in the early 18th century.
Early documentary evidence includes the christening of Elizabeth Ricketts at St. James’ Clerkenwell in London in 1669, and the military service of William Ricketts during the 1665 conquest of Jamaica; one of William’s sons later founded the North American branch of the family.
During the American War of Independence the Ricketts family is documented on both sides of the ideological divide, indicating a broad engagement with contemporary socio‑political events.
The surname’s heraldic badge consists of a field of erminois, a chevron between three red roses, and two swords in a chevron girding their points in saltire. This blazon is traditionally considered the family’s armorial standard.
In the United Kingdom the most populous areas bearing the surname are the counties of Kent, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. Within the United States the name is most concentrated in the South, particularly in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, where census figures suggest a population exceeding ten thousand. Canada reports a large presence in Ontario and Alberta; Australia lists over two thousand bearers according to the 2011 Census, and New Zealand maintains a smaller, but active, genealogical registry.
Variants of the name, such as Rickard, Ricket, Rickets, Rickett, and others, have appeared historically across Devon, Derbyshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, and Hampshire, reflecting dialectical influences and the fluid orthography of pre‑modern records.
Despite these regional and orthographic differences, all contemporary variants share a common etymological ancestry in the biblical personal name Richard, and they collectively attest to an enduring English heritage that has spread through colonisation and migration to diverse English‑speaking countries.
Typical given names associated with the Ricketts surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Simon
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Sarah
- Sharon
- 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 Ricketts in...
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Ricketts are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Jaffa Cake.
There are approximately 6,503 people named Ricketts in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,460th most common surname in Britain. Around 100 in a million people in Britain are named Ricketts.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Ricketts
- Sam Ricketts - Football player and manager
- Michael Ricketts - Football player
- Rohan Ricketts - Association football player
- Peter Ricketts - Diplomat
- Frederick Joseph Ricketts - Composer of marches for band (1881 to 1945)
- Isaac Buckley-Ricketts - Football player
- Tom Ricketts - Actor (1853 to 1939)
- Mark Ricketts - Football player
- Charles Ricketts - Artist and publisher (1866 to 1931)
- David Ricketts - Olympic cyclist (1920 to 1996)
- George Ricketts - Cricketer (1864 to 1927)
- Arthur Ricketts - Cricketer (1913 to 2000)
- Courtney Ricketts - Cricketer
- Graham Ricketts - Football player
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.