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Richard Family History

Richard Surname Meaning

English, French, West Indian (mainly Haiti), German, and Dutch: from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements rīc ‘power(ful)’ + hard ‘hardy, brave, strong’. The Middle English forms were Richard and Rikard, respectively Parisian Old French and Old Picard pronunciations of the ancient Germanic name.

Middle English Rikard gives rise to the pet form Rick, whilst Richard has given the pet forms Richie and Rich. Both produced rhyming pet forms Dick and Hick for Rikard and Hitch for Richard.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Richard family from?

You can see how Richard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Richard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Richard families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 1,407 Richard families living in London. This was about 16% of all the recorded Richard's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Richard families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Richard surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Richard ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Richard. 12% of Richard men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Richard women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Richard were Farmer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Richard | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Incapacitated
    6%
  • Retired
    4%
  • Farmer
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Richard family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 449,000 census records available for the last name Richard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Richard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Richard

Passenger Lists

There are 50,000 immigration records available for the last name Richard. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Richard immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 64,000 military records available for the last name Richard. For the veterans among your Richard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Richard military records

You've only scratched the surface of Richard family history

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What is the average Richard lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Richard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Richard in 1941 was 31, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Richard

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Richard ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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