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Richards Family History

Richards Name Meaning

English: variant of Richard with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. Compare Rickards . German: patronymic from the personal name Richard .

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


Similar surnames: Richard, Richardson, Rickards, Richardt, Richer, Reichard, Michaels

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Richards family from?

You can see how Richards families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Richards family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Richards families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 1,214 Richards families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Richards's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Richards families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Richards surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Richards ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Richards. 28% of Richards men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Richards women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Richards were Carpenter and Income. .

View Census Data for Richards | 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
    28%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    14%
  • Housekeeper
    12%
  • Student
    10%
  • Income
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Richards family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Richards. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Richards census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Richards

Passenger Lists

There are 157,000 immigration records available for the last name Richards. 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 Richards immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 170,000 military records available for the last name Richards. For the veterans among your Richards ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Richards family history

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What is the average Richards lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Richards life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Richards in 1940 was 38, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Richards

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