Richards Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Richards last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Richards last name
Meaning of the Richards last name: son of Richard. Richards is a patronymic, "son of Richard", from the Germanic personal name Richard, "powerful and hardy", which came to England with the Normans. The -s ending is typical of Wales and the west of England, where patronymic surnames were fixed late, often in the 16th and 17th centuries. Richards is especially common in south Wales, Cornwall and Devon, and Cornish miners took it to Australia and the United States. In Wales, patronymic names such as ap Richard, "son of Richard", gave way to fixed surnames with an -s ending, giving Richards, Roberts, Jones and Williams. In Cornwall, the name is especially common in the mining districts around Camborne and Redruth. Cornish emigrants took Richards to South Australia, Michigan and Wisconsin in the 19th century. The name is also common in England and the United States.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Richards name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Richards name in Wales. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as England, the United States and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Richards name FAQ
What does the Richards name mean?
Son of Richard. Common variants include Richard, Richardes, Prichard.
Where does the Richards surname come from?
It originates in Wales, and is also found in England, the United States and Australia.
Is there a Richards coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Richards crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Richards coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.