# Richardson (surname)

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

An English 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) | 259,798 |
| US rank (2010) | 80 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 1,188 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.1% (249,533 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃɚdsən/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Richard + -son.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Richardson 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) | 60% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 34% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.6% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
| Two or more races | 2.4% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Richardson in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

## People named Richardson

- Robert Coleman Richardson, American physicist
- Natasha Richardson, British actress (1963–2009)
- Kevin Michael Richardson, American actor (born 1964)
- Miranda Richardson, British actress
- Ralph Richardson, British actor (1902–1983)
- Haley Lu Richardson, American actress
- Joely Richardson, British actress
- Sha'Carri Richardson, American sprinter
- Bill Richardson, American politician (1947–2023)
- Jason Richardson, American basketball player (born 1981)
- Kevin Richardson, American singer, member of the Backstreet Boys
- Robert Richardson, American cinematographer

and 58 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Richards, Richard, Rickard, Ricciardi, Reichard, Ricardo, Riccardi, Ricard, Richert, Rickards, Reichardt, Rikard.

## 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.