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Early Origins of the Record family

The surname Record was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1191 when Richewardus de Westberi held estates in that county.

Early History of the Record family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Record research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1455, 1487, 1510 and 1558 are included under the topic Early Record History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Record Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Record include Record, Ricord, Rickward, Rikecord, Rikeworth, Rickworth, Rykeward, Rickward, Rickword, Rickwood, Rickcord, Records and many more.

Early Notables of the Record family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Robert Recorde (1510-1558), Welsh physician & mathematician...
  • Though the greatest part of his time was spent in the mathematical sciences, Recorde is said to have been deeply skilled in rhetoric, philosophy, polite literature, history, cosmography, astrology, as...

Record Ranking

In the United States, the name Record is the 10,031st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Record migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Record or a variant listed above:

Record Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jacob Record, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1765
Record Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Record, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 2
  • Elizabeth Record, who was on record in Cincinnati in 1825

Contemporary Notables of the name Record (post 1700) +

  • Samuel J. Record (1881-1945), American botanist, founder of the International Society of Wood Anatomists
  • Eugene Booker Record (1940-2005), American lead vocalist of The Chi-Lites, during the 1960s and 1970s, best remembered for his song "Have You Seen Her"
  • W. H. Record, American politician, Village President of DeKalb, Illinois, 1871 3
  • Thomas Jasper Record (1852-1935), American politician, Mayor of Paris, Texas, 1932-34; Defeated, 1930, 1934 3
  • Taylor I. Record (1846-1912), American politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1897 3
  • Roscoe L. Record, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for New York State Senate 15th District, 1908; Prohibition Candidate for New York State Assembly, 1919, 1922 3
  • Louis D. Record Jr., American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Nashua 1st Ward, 1956 3
  • George L. Record (1859-1933), American politician, Representative from New Jersey, 1910; Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1912; Presidential Elector for New Jersey, 1916 3
  • Clara M. Record, American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Nashua 2nd Ward, 1956 3
  • Calvin Record, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maine, 1860 3


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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