Explore the Family Name Rich
The meaning of Rich
1. English: nickname for a wealthy man (or perhaps in some cases an ironic nickname for a pauper), from Middle English, Old French riche ‘rich, wealthy’, a word of ancient Germanic origin, akin to ancient Germanic rīc ‘power(ful)’. 2. English: from the Middle English personal name Rich, a pet form of any of the post-Conquest names beginning in Rich-, such as Richer and especially Richard. Compare Rick. 3. English: either a topographic name from Middle English riche (Old English ric) ‘stream’, signifying one who lived beside a stream, as at Glynde Reach (Sussex), or perhaps a habitational name from the (now lost) village of Riche (Lincolnshire). 4. English: sometimes perhaps a variant of Ridge with devoicing of the formerly medial consonant. 5. Americanized form of German Reich.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rich in the United States?
According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Rich" saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Its rank fell by 6.42% making it the 696th most popular surname, down from 654th in 2000. Even though its rank fell, the actual count of people with this surname increased by 4.22%, reaching 49,481 in 2010 from 47,477 in 2000. This suggests that while other surnames may have grown more popular during this time frame, the number of individuals identified as "Rich" has still seen growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #654 | #696 | -6.42% |
| Count | 47,477 | 49,481 | 4.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 17.6 | 16.77 | -4.72% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rich
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Rich". In 2010, about 85.20% identified as White, marking a slight decrease of 2.05% from 2000. The proportion of people identifying as Black increased slightly by 4.26% to 9.29%. The biggest change was observed within the Hispanic community which saw an increase of 48.77% making up 2.41% of all Rich's in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also increased by 21.82%. There was a notable rise of 37.50% in the percentage of people identifying as two or more races. However, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a small reduction of 3.45%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.98% | 85.2% | -2.05% |
| Black | 8.91% | 9.29% | 4.26% |
| Hispanic | 1.62% | 2.41% | 48.77% |
| Two or More Races | 1.36% | 1.87% | 37.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.55% | 0.67% | 21.82% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.58% | 0.56% | -3.45% |
Rich ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Rich is British & Irish, which comprises 48.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.9%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (7.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.4% |
| French & German | 21.9% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 7.7% |
| Other | 22.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Rich
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Rich have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.10% |
What Rich haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Rich is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and G-L42, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Richards, Davis, West, Cross, Harrison, Thomas, Williams, Lloyd, Martin, Phillips.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Rich surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Rich have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Rich" Surname 39.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Rich" Surname 25.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Rich" Surname 21.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Rich" Surname 17.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Rich?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Rich are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition