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Origins of the Richardson surname

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What does the name Richardson mean?

The origin of the Richardson surname is English and has Anglo-Saxon roots, being found in records dating back from as early as the 1300s. Richardson is a patronymic surname coming from the son or descendant of Richard. Where Richards is a more common name for this kind of descendant in the south of the country, this name can be found more often in the North of England (particularly in Yorkshire).

Alternative variations of the name Richardson

Richardson, Richardsone, Richerdson, Rychardson, Richarson

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Where do most Richardsons live?

In 1921, most Richardsons lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Richardsons

How common is your surname?

53rd most common surname in the UK

We have 528,000 records for the Richardson surname. The oldest one dates back to 1264.

Who were Richardsons most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Johnsons

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Richardsons.

What are the most common Richardson first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Richardson family members

Common jobs for Richardsons

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Richardsons in 1921
Dressmaker

2,542

Domestic Servant

1,309

General Servant Domestic

1,212

Laundress

1,085

House Servant

1,003

Common Male occupations for Richardsons in 1921
Coal Miner

2,956

Agricultural Labourer

2,411

Farmer

1,746

General Labourer

1,728

Farm Labourer

1,382

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 770,000 family trees with the Richardson surname

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