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Rich Family History

Rich Surname Meaning

English: nickname for a wealthy man (or perhaps in some cases an ironic nickname for a pauper) from Middle English Old French riche ‘rich wealthy’ a word of ancient Germanic origin akin to ancient Germanic rīc ‘power(ful)’.

English: from the Middle English personal name Rich a pet form of any of the post-Conquest names beginning in Rich- such as Richer and especially Richard. Compare Rick.

English: either a topographic name from Middle English riche(Old English ric) ‘stream’ signifying one who lived beside a stream as at Glynde Reach (Sussex) or perhaps a habitational name from the (now lost) village of Riche (Lincolnshire).

English: sometimes perhaps a variant of Ridge with devoicing of the formerly medial consonant. Americanized form of German Reich.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Rich family from?

You can see how Rich families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rich family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rich families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 198 Rich families living in Ontario. This was about 54% of all the recorded Rich's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rich families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rich surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Rich ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Wife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Rich. 38% of Rich men worked as a Farmer and 60% of Rich women worked as a Wife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rich were Carpenter and Student.

View Census Data for Rich | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    38%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Carpenter
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Wife
    60%
  • Student
    40%

What Rich family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 284,000 census records available for the last name Rich. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rich census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rich

Passenger Lists

There are 29,000 immigration records available for the last name Rich. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Rich immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 48,000 military records available for the last name Rich. For the veterans among your Rich ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rich military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rich family history

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What is the average Rich lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Rich life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Rich in 1940 was 25, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rich

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rich ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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