Contents [hide]

Rickard History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Rickard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancestors of the Rickard family migrated to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The surname Rickard is based on the Old German name Ricard, meaning powerful and brave. 1

Early Origins of the Rickard family

The surname Rickard was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the singular name Ricard was recorded. 2 Later in Norfolk, Richardus Basset was listed 1127-1134. 3

In Yorkshire, they held a family seat at Hatfield being ancient Lords of the manor of Ricard or Rycard. Over on the Isle of Wight in Yaverland, a small branch of the family was found at one time. "An ancient mansion of the Russells here, subsequently of the Richards family, and now a farmhouse, is a good specimen of the Elizabethan style." 4

Up in Scotland, the first record was of Thome filius Ricardi who had a charter of the barony of Symundestone in the sheriffdom of Lanark from Robert I, c. 1315-1321. Laurence filius Ricerdi was a tenant of the earl of Douglas in Louchurde in 1376 and John Ricardi held land in Aberdeen in 1451. 5

Early History of the Rickard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rickard research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1379, 1507, 1515, 1520, 1521, 1522, 1523, 1527, 1564, 1630, 1641, 1643, 1654, 1668, 1669, 1673, 1692, 1694, 1705, 1709, 1721, 1728 and 1817 are included under the topic Early Rickard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rickard Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Rickard were recorded, including Richards, Richard, Ricard, Rycard and others.

Early Notables of the Rickard family

Distinguished members of the family include William Richards, Captain and Vice Admiral of Kent; Ralph Richards, rector of Helmdon, Northamptonshire from 1641 to 1668; and his son, William Richards (1643-1705), an English clergyman and author; and John Richards (died 1694), English-born, colonial military officer, businessman, politician, and magistrate in America, best known for his participation in the Salem witch trials in 1692.John Richards (1669-1709), was a British Major-General...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rickard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rickard Ranking

In the United States, the name Rickard is the 3,494^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Rickard family to Ireland

Some of the Rickard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rickard migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Rickard arrived in North America very early:

Rickard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Giles Rickard, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1635 7
Nicholas Rickard, who arrived in Maryland in 1645 7
Elizabeth Rickard, who arrived in Maryland in 1650 7

Rickard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joh Rickard, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1786 7

Rickard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Stephen Rickard, aged 27, who landed in New York in 1807 7
Ms Ann Rickard, aged 26, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863
Alfred Rickard, who landed in Colorado in 1885 7
T Arthur Rickard, who arrived in Colorado in 1886 7

Rickard Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Carrie Rickard, aged 28, who landed in America from Cornwall, in 1905
Alfred Rickard, aged 35, who immigrated to the United States from Devonport, England, in 1907
Alfred Rickard, aged 12, who settled in America from Manchester, England, in 1908
Alfred Rickard, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from St. Damonich, England, in 1908
Charles Rickard, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States from Newlyn, England, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rickard migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rickard Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Henry Rickard, who arrived in Canada in 1841

Rickard migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Rickard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Rickard(b. 1796), aged 24, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 22nd March 1819, sentenced for 7 years for burglary, transported aboard the ship "Dromedary" in September 1819 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 8
Mr. Joseph Rickard, English convict who was convicted in Cornwall, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Mr. William Rickard, (b. 1821), aged 21, British Convict who was convicted in Buckinghamshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 10
Mr. James Rickard, (b. 1810), aged 38, Cornish quarryman and miner from Redruth, Cornwall, UK departing from Plymouth on 17th July 1848 aboard the ship "Andromache" arriving in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 8th November 1848 11
Mrs. Elizabeth Rickard, (b. 1813), aged 35, Cornish house keeper from Redruth, Cornwall, UK departing from Plymouth on 17th July 1848 aboard the ship "Andromache" arriving in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 8th November 1848 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rickard migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Rickard Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Martha Rickard, (b. 1846), aged 21, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Glenmark" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1867 12
Miss Alice Rickard, (b. 1850), aged 17, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Glenmark" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1867 12
Miss Mary J. Rickard, (b. 1853), aged 17, British general servant travelling from London aboard the ship 'Merope' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 27th October 1870 12
Miss Mary J. Rickard, (b. 1853), aged 17, Cornish general servant departing on 29th July 1870 aboard the ship "Merope" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 27th October 1870 13
Mr. Thomas Rickard, (b. 1843), aged 30, Irish miller from Meath travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rickard (post 1700) +

Brigadier-General Roy Victor Rickard (1891-1975), American Assistant Chief of Staff (G-4), 9th Army (1944-1945) 15
Edgar Rickard (1874-1951), American mining engineer and lifelong confidant of U.S. President Herbert Hoover
George Lewis "Tex" Rickard (1870-1929), American boxing promoter, and founder of the New York Rangers NHL franchise
William Thomas Rickard (1828-1905), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
Scott Rickard (b. 1981), English professional footballer
Harry Rickard (1843-1911), English-born comedian and theatre owner
Matthew Rickard (b. 1993), English footballer
Brenton Scott Rickard (b. 1983), Australian six-time gold, fourteen-time silver and eight-time bronze medalist breaststroke swimmer, Australian Institute of Sport Athlete of the Year in 2009
Steve Rickard (1929-2015), ring name of Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt, a New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter
Georgia Rickard, Australian-born journalist, author and media commentator
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Rickard Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Honore et amore
Motto Translation: With honour and love.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th December 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Roy Rickard. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Rickard/Roy_Victor/USA.html