Richards History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


Richards is one of the names carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is based on the Old German name Ricard, meaning powerful and brave. 1

Early Origins of the Richards family

The surname Richards 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 Richards family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Richards 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 Richards History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Richards Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Richards, Richard, Ricard, Rycard and others.

Early Notables of the Richards family

Distinguished members of the family include

Richards World Ranking

In the United States, the name Richards is the 212nd most popular surname with an estimated 121,863 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name Richards is ranked the 261st most popular surname with an estimated 15,889 people with that name. 7 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Richards is the 222nd popular surname with an estimated 195 people with that name. 8 Australia ranks Richards as 77th with 31,317 people. 9 New Zealand ranks Richards as 131st with 3,552 people. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Richards as 71st with 63,018 people. 11 South Africa ranks Richards as 769th with 8,995 people. 12

Migration of the Richards family to Ireland

Some of the Richards 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.


Richards migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Richards or a variant listed above:

Richards Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Richards Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Richards Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Richards migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Richards Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Richards Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Richards migration to Australia +

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

Richards Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Richards Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Richards 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:

Richards Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Richards migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 22
Richards Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
Richards Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Richards (post 1700) +


The Richards 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.
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