# Rich (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/rich/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname transferred from the given name.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 49,481 |
| US rank (2010) | 696 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 6,240 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.2% (47,477 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ɹɪt͡ʃ/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Richard. The surname also derives from rich as a nickname.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Rich in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 85% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 9.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 1.9% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Rich in the United States, Spain, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of England.

## People named Rich

- Adrienne Rich, American poet, essayist and feminist (1929–2012)
- Buddy Rich, American jazz drummer and bandleader (1917–1987)
- Marc Rich, American commodities trader (1934–2013)
- Irene Rich, American actress (1891-1988)
- Charlie Rich, American country singer (1932–1995)
- Adam Rich, American actor (1968–2023)
- Christopher Rich, American actor
- Allan Rich, American actor (1926–2020)
- Claudius James Rich, British business agent, traveller and antiquarian (1787-1821)
- Richard Rich, American film director
- Leslie Rich, American swimmer, Olympic bronze medalist (1886-1969)
- Vivian Rich, actress (1893-1957)

and 13 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Ritchie, Richey, Reich, Ritchey, Richie, Ruch, Ritch, Rech, Riche, Rish, Rice, Rico.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.