Explore the Family Name Richard
The meaning of Richard
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. History: The LA Richard families are mainly descended from Acadian refugees in the second half of the 18th century. — This surname is listed in the register of Huguenot ancestors recognized by the Huguenot Society of America. Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Emile, Jacques, Andre, Marcel, Pierre, Leonce, Normand, Camille, Lucien, Gilles, Henri.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Richard in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Richard has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 581st in the United States, but fell to 629th by 2010, marking an 8.26% decrease. However, the total count of individuals with the surname Richard rose slightly from 52,138 in 2000 to 53,893 in 2010, indicating a growth of 3.37%. The proportion per 100,000 people also fell by 5.48%, dropping from 19.33 to 18.27.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #581 | #629 | -8.26% |
| Count | 52,138 | 53,893 | 3.37% |
| Proportion per 100k | 19.33 | 18.27 | -5.48% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Richard
The census data further reveals that the ethnic identity associated with the surname Richard has diversified over the years. In 2000, the majority of Richards identified as White (73.19%), followed by those identifying as Black (22.09%). By 2010, there was a modest shift in these percentages, with 70.35% identifying as White and 23.46% as Black. Interestingly, the percentage of Richards identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic saw significant increases, growing by 47.54% and 41.75% respectively. Those identifying as Two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native also increased, though less dramatically at 20.12% and 9.62% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73.19% | 70.35% | -3.88% |
| Black | 22.09% | 23.46% | 6.2% |
| Hispanic | 1.94% | 2.75% | 41.75% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 1.97% | 20.12% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.61% | 0.9% | 47.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.52% | 0.57% | 9.62% |
Richard 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 Richard is British & Irish, which comprises 36.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (33.8%) and Spanish & Portuguese (5.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Scandinavian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 36.0% |
| French & German | 33.8% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 5.7% |
| Other | 24.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Richard
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 Richard have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 67.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 67.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 67.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 66.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 66.80% |
What Richard 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 Richard is R-M167, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M167 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Castellanos, Boles, Crespo, Hacker, Isaacs, Dawkins, Poole, Montalvo, Cox, Cary.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Richard 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 Richard 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.
"Richard" Surname 37.9%
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.
"Richard" Surname 27.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Richard" Surname 20.8%
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.
"Richard" Surname 17.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Richard?
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 Richard are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition