2000
#215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125,653
First available Census row
Per 100,000 46.58
Common Last name
Richards
An English patronymic surname derived from the given name Richard, meaning "powerful leader" or "brave ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 144,646 Americans carry the last name Richards. That puts it at #236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 42.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,370 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Richards surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Richards with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
145K
1 in 2,370
Census rank
#236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
42.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
126K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 126,138 bearers of the surname Richards in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 42.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Richards, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Richards
The surname Richards is of English origin, derived from the given name Richard, which is an ancient Germanic name composed of the elements "ric" (meaning power or rule) and "hard" (meaning hardy, brave, or strong). The name is thought to have emerged in England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Richards surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Richardes" and "Richarz." This historic document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, records the names of landowners in England at the time.
The Richards surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire in the southwestern part of England. It is believed that the name may have originated in these regions, as many early bearers of the surname can be traced back to these areas.
During the Middle Ages, the Richards surname appeared in various spellings, including Richardes, Richarz, Richardes, and Ricards, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation at that time.
One notable early bearer of the Richards surname was William Richards, a Welsh soldier and landowner who lived in the late 13th century. He fought alongside Edward I during the Welsh Wars and was granted lands in Carmarthenshire for his service.
In the 16th century, John Richards (c. 1537-1623) was a prominent English writer and clergyman who served as the rector of St. Anne's Church in Aldersgate, London. He authored several influential religious works, including "A Summons to the Lord's Supper" and "A Consolatory Epistle to the Distressed Brethren."
Another prominent figure with the Richards surname was Michael Richards (1673-1737), an English botanist and author of "The Plantarum Genera," an early attempt at classifying plants based on their floral structures.
In the literary world, Samuel Richards (1720-1803) was an English poet and clergyman known for his work "The Ratcliffiad," a satirical poem about the village of Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire.
During the American Revolutionary War, John Richards (1744-1824) was a British soldier and loyalist who served as a captain in the King's American Dragoons. After the war, he emigrated to Nova Scotia, where he became a prominent landowner and politician.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the Richards surname throughout history, demonstrating its long-standing presence and significance in various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Richards
Among Census respondents with the surname Richards, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Richards bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Richards surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.1% · 94,740
- Black or African American15.1% · 18,990
- Two or more races4.0% · 5,060
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 5,006
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1,239
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1,103
Timeline
Historical Census data for Richards
Richards appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130,529
+4,876 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 44.25
Rank movement Down 13 places
2020
#236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126,138
-4,391 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 42.20
Rank movement Down 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #215 | 125,653 | 46.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #228 | 130,529 | 44.25 | +4,876 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 13 places |
| 2020 | #236 | 126,138 | 42.20 | -4,391 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 8 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Richards surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #228 | #236 | -3.5% |
| Count | 130,529 | 126,138 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 44.25 | 42.20 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Richards bearers went from 130,529 to 126,138 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #228 to #236.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Richards
FAQ
Richards surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Richards?
Name Census estimates that about 144,646 living Americans carry the surname Richards. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,370 residents.
How common is Richards?
Richards ranks #236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 42.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 42 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 126,138 people with the surname Richards. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (144,646), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 42.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 42.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 42 of them to have the surname Richards.
Has Richards become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Richards went from 130,529 recorded bearers to 126,138. That is a decrease of 4,391 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #228 to #236.
What does the Census say about the background of Richards?
Among Census respondents with the surname Richards, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Richards in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.1% (94,740 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Richards appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.1%), Black (15.1%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Richards (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Richards mean?
An English patronymic surname derived from the given name Richard, meaning "powerful leader" or "brave ruler." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Richards (42.20 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Richards?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.