2000
#74
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 249,533
First available Census row
Per 100,000 92.50
Common Last name
Richardson
Derived from the given name Richard, meaning "brave power," combined with the patronymic suffix "-son," indicating "son of Richard."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 286,498 Americans carry the last name Richardson. That puts it at #83 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 83.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,196 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Richardson 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 Richardson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
286K
1 in 1,196
Census rank
#83
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
83.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
250K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 249,840 bearers of the surname Richardson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 83.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 83rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Richardson, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Black (32.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Richardson
The surname Richardson has its origins in the northern regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Northumberland, where it first emerged during the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "ric" meaning powerful or wealthy and "harding" meaning hardy or firm, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname were influential or hardy individuals.
The Richardson name can be traced back to several early records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears in various spellings such as Richardsone and Rychardson. These early variations reflect the regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Richardson surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where a certain Willelmus Richardsone is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland from 1279, which mentions a Johannes Richardeson.
Several notable individuals have borne the Richardson surname throughout history. Sir Thomas Richardson (1569-1635) was an English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles I. Another notable figure was Samuel Richardson (1689-1761), an English novelist and one of the earliest practitioners of the epistolary novel genre, best known for his works "Pamela" and "Clarissa."
The Richardson name has also been associated with several place names, such as Richardson's Cross in Yorkshire, which dates back to the 13th century, and Richardson's Booth in Lancashire, which was mentioned in records from the 16th century.
Other notable individuals with the Richardson surname include Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-1983), a renowned English actor known for his stage and film performances, and Sir Lewis Richardson (1881-1953), a mathematician and meteorologist who made significant contributions to the study of fractals and chaos theory.
The Richardson surname has endured through the centuries, with numerous bearers leaving their mark across various fields, from law and literature to the performing arts and sciences. Its rich history and varied origins reflect the diverse and influential nature of those who have carried this name throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Richardson
Among Census respondents with the surname Richardson, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Black (32.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Richardson 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 Richardson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.5% · 143,560
- Black or African American32.5% · 81,159
- Two or more races4.8% · 11,995
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 9,125
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 2,441
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1,560
Timeline
Historical Census data for Richardson
Richardson 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
#80
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 259,798
+10,265 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 88.07
Rank movement Down 6 places
2020
#83
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 249,840
-9,958 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 83.59
Rank movement Down 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #74 | 249,533 | 92.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #80 | 259,798 | 88.07 | +10,265 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 6 places |
| 2020 | #83 | 249,840 | 83.59 | -9,958 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 3 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 Richardson 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 | #80 | #83 | -3.8% |
| Count | 259,798 | 249,840 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 88.07 | 83.59 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Richardson bearers went from 259,798 to 249,840 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #80 to #83.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Richardson
FAQ
Richardson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Richardson?
Name Census estimates that about 286,498 living Americans carry the surname Richardson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,196 residents.
How common is Richardson?
Richardson ranks #83 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 83.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 84 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 249,840 people with the surname Richardson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (286,498), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 83.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 83.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 84 of them to have the surname Richardson.
Has Richardson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Richardson went from 259,798 recorded bearers to 249,840. That is a decrease of 9,958 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #80 to #83.
What does the Census say about the background of Richardson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Richardson, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.5%. The next largest groups are Black (32.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Richardson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.5% (143,560 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Richardson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.5%), Black (32.5%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Richardson (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 Richardson mean?
Derived from the given name Richard, meaning "brave power," combined with the patronymic suffix "-son," indicating "son of Richard." 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 Richardson (83.59 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 last name Richardson?
You can see how common the surname Richardson is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.