The name Richard itself is a common name of Germanic origin, deriving from the words ric (ruler, leader, king) and hard (strong, hardy, brave). Hence the typical meaning of the name Richard is given as "powerful leader".
The name Richard in England was popularised by the Normans after the Conquest of England, and from it derived the surnames Richardson and Richards. According to academics at the University of Leicester, the suffix "son" in surnames is predominant in northern England, whilst the suffix "s" is predominant in southern and western England.[2] Richards is also attested as being a Celtic Welsh variation.[1]
It is suggested that the meaning of the name and the fame of King Richard I "the Lion heart" (1157-1199) made the name even more popular.
Varations of the surname Richardson include Richerson, Richarson, Richeson, Richison, and Ritcherson. These variations are the result of people or scribes penning a name phonetically (how it sounded). These variations have eventually disappeared as surname spellings became standardised. Some people however may still bear one of these variations. The lack of a single standardised spelling in medieval and pre-modern times means that people can have their surname recorded under different spellings for their baptism, marriage, and death.
Another surname of the same origin is FitzRichard, which uses the Norman prefix of Fitz which likewise means "son of", rather than the Germanic suffix son.
Fitz is derived from the Latin word Filius, and this is recorded alongside what is possibly a Latinised form of Richard, Ricardi, in Scotland in the 14th century. A Thome filius Ricardi is recorded as holding a charter in the barony of Symundestone in Lanarkshire around 1315-1321.[3] In 1376, Laurence filius Ricardi is recorded as being a tenant of the Earl of Douglas in Louchurde.[3]
The first spelling of Richardson with the suffix son can also be traced to Scotland in 1359, where a merchant called Murdac Richardesson complained that the English sunk his vessel during a truce.[3] This was recorded in Glasgow, Scotland, during the reign of King David II of Scotland (1324-1371).[4]
The first recorded spelling of Richardson as Richardson can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax, where a William Richardson is noted in 1381.[4]
The only problem with these recorded bearers of the Richardson surname is that we can't tell if they are being used as permenant surnames, or whether the patronymic system is still being used. For example say Murdac Richardesson's son was called David - we can't be sure without further records whether he was called David Richardesson or David Murdacson (or some other variant). This issue must be taken into account when it is claimed that many families in Yorkshire and Halifax never took permenant surnames until the late 17th century.[5] Yorkshire is amongst the areas where the surname Richardson is of higher density per population than the rest of Great Britain.[6][7]
As can be guessed from the above, ethnicity and language plays a factor in names, with Fitz being used by the French speaking Normans, son by the Old English speaking Anglo-Saxons in northern England, and s by those in southern England and by the Brythonic speaking Welsh and Cornish.
Sources
- British Surnames - Richards origin
- Telegraph - Englands historical roots found in surnames
- 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)
- Surname Database - Richardson
- About.com Genealogy - English Surnames - Meanings & Origins
- Public Profiler - Richardson, 1881
- Public Profiler - Richardson, 1998
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