# Richard (surname)

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

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 53,893 |
| US rank (2010) | 629 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 5,729 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.4% (52,138 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.ɚd/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Middle English Rycharde, from Old French Richard, from Medieval Latin Richardus, Ricohardus, from Frankish *Rīkahard, from Proto-Germanic *Rīkaharduz, a construction of *rīks (“king, ruler”) + *harduz (“hard, brave”). Cognate with Old High German Rīcohard (“Richard”). Partially related to rich. A hypothetical Old English equivalent *Rīċheard would also yield an identical "Richard" in Modern English, though it is unknown if the Old English equivalent existed.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Richard 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) | 70% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 23% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.8% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.0% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Richard in the United States, the United Kingdom and Austria.

## People named Richard

- Wendy Richard, British actress (1943–2009)
- Dawn Richard, American singer (born 1983)
- Fred Richard, American gymnast
- Patrick Richard, American basketball player
- Frida Richard, Austrian actress (1873-1946)
- J. R. Richard, American baseball player (born 1950)
- Zachary Richard, American musician, singer and poet
- Clayton Richard, American baseball player (born 1983)
- Viola Richard, American actress (1904-1973)
- Chris Richard, American basketball player, NCAA Tournament champion
- Naïka, American singer

## Similar surnames

Reichard, Richert, Richart, Reichart, Richardson, Richards, Rickard, Ricciardi, Ricardo, Riccardi, Ricard, Rickards.

## 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.