Richards
A patronymic surname meaning “Richard’s son” or “belonging to Richard.”
The #228 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,365 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Richards comes from the medieval personal name Richard plus the English patronymic -s, which originally meant “son of” or “belonging to.” The given name Richard itself is Germanic in origin, built from roots meaning “power” or “rule” and “hardy” or “strong.” In short, Richards began as a family label for a descendant of a man named Richard.
History
The surname is well established in England and later spread widely across Britain and English-speaking countries. Nineteenth-century surname writers regularly grouped it with other English patronymics such as Williams and Jones. It remains common in the United States, where it is now a familiar inherited family name rather than a transparent “son of Richard” form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books note that Richard generated a surprising number of related surnames, including Richards, Richardson, Ricks, Rix, and Rickson.
From the historical record
“Cp. Ricard. RICHARDS, Richard's (Son) \ RICHARDSON, Richard's Son K ' Richard. RICHART, a French form of Richard, q.v. RICH BELL, an orig. fem. name of French origin found in our I3th-i4th cent, records”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Richards
- Keith Richards (b. 1943)
- Theodore William Richards (1868–1928)
- Michael Richards (b. 1949)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.