Show ContentsRicher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Richer family

The surname Richer was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Richer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Richer research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early Richer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Richer Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacRitchie, Ritchie, MacRichie and others.

Early Notables of the Richer family

More information is included under the topic Early Richer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Richer World Ranking

In the United States, the name Richer is the 10,311st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Richer is ranked the 489th most popular surname with an estimated 9,922 people with that name. 2 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Richer is the 227th popular surname. 3 France ranks Richer as 1,067th with 5,057 people. 4

Ireland Migration of the Richer family to Ireland

Some of the Richer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Richer migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Richer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Bernhard Richer who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1734
  • Bernhart Richer, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1734
  • Conrad Richer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 5
  • John Richer, who settled in Maryland in 1774
Richer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charlotte Richer, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1854 5
  • Wilhelm Richer, aged 6, who landed in New York in 1854 5

Canada Richer migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Richer Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Miss Jeanne Richer, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 1st April 1641 6
  • Pierre Richer, son of Jean and Marie, who married Dorothée Brassard, daughter of Antoine and Françoise, in Quebec on 5th october 1671 7
Richer Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Pierre Richer, son of Pierre and Marguerite, who married Marie-Catherine Barbau, daughter of François and Marguerite, in Montreal, Quebec on 24th May 1716 7
  • Pierre Richer, who settled in Quebec in 1716 from Aunis on the west coast of France near Bordeaux
  • François Richer, son of Jacques and Marie, who married Marie-Anne Brunet, daughter of Jacques and Jeanne, in Saint-Laurent, Quebec on 18th October 1723 7
  • Pierre Richer, son of Pierre and Dorothée, who married Marie-Charlotte Hamel, daughter of Jean and Christine-Charlotte, in Quebec on 4th May 1726 7
  • François Richer, son of Jacques and Marie, who married Marie-Josephte Le Normand, daughter of Pierre and Marguerite, in Sault-au-Récollet, Quebec on 11th October 1745 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Richer (post 1700) +

  • Robert Richer, American associate deputy director of operations of the United States Central Intelligence Agency
  • Stephen B. Richer (b. 1946), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New Jersey State House of Assembly, 1969, 1971; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1980 8
  • Julian Richer, English businessman and founder of the British hifi retail chain "Richer Sounds"
  • Jean Richer (1630-1696), French astronomer
  • Stéphane Richer (b. 1966), Canadian professional ice hockey left winger

HMS Hood
  • Mr. Harold E Richer (b. 1910), English Petty Officer serving for the Royal Navy from Hastings, Sussex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 9


The Richer 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: Virtutue acquiritur honos
Motto Translation: Honour is aquired by virtue.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  4. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  5. 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)
  6. Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
  7. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  9. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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