Richardson
A classic patronymic surname meaning “son of Richard.”
The #80 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,188 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Richardson is an English patronymic built from the personal name Richard plus the suffix -son, meaning “son of Richard.” The given name Richard came into English through Old French from a Germanic name made up of elements meaning “power, rule” and “hard, strong, brave.” In other words, the surname originally identified someone as Richard’s son or descendant.
History
The name is one of the most straightforward English hereditary surnames and appears in medieval records in many regions of England. It remained common because Richard was a popular given name from the Middle Ages onward, especially after the Norman period. The surname also spread widely to Scotland, Ireland, North America, and other English-speaking countries through migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root that lies behind Richardson also gave English the name Richard, long popular among medieval kings and saints.
From the historical record
“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 Richardson
- Owen Richardson (1879–1959)
- Robert Coleman Richardson (1937–2013)
- Natasha Richardson (1963–2009)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.