NameCensus.

UK surname

Ricardo

A Spanish and Portuguese patronymic surname meaning "son of Richard," derived from the Germanic elements "ric" (power) and "hard" (brave).

In the 1881 census there were 63 people recorded with the Ricardo surname, ranking it #24,711 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 204, ranked #19,320, up from #24,711 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and Bromsberrow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Somerset, Cherwell and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ricardo is 204 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 223.8%.

1881 census count

63

Ranked #24,711

Modern count

204

2016, ranked #19,320

Peak year

2016

204 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ricardo had 63 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,711 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016, ranked #19,320.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 108 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Ricardo surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ricardo surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ricardo surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ricardo over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 21 #29,550
1861 historical 37 #29,339
1881 historical 63 #24,711
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 108 #21,836
1911 historical 95 #23,294
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 111 #25,990
1999 modern 112 #26,044
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 113 #25,489
2002 modern 122 #24,874
2003 modern 130 #23,672
2004 modern 134 #23,425
2005 modern 139 #22,887
2006 modern 146 #22,320
2007 modern 162 #21,115
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 187 #19,868
2010 modern 184 #20,521
2011 modern 175 #21,035
2012 modern 189 #19,949
2013 modern 191 #20,124
2014 modern 202 #19,575
2015 modern 199 #19,640
2016 modern 204 #19,320

Geography

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Where Ricardos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, Bromsberrow, Minchinhampton and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Somerset, Cherwell and West Dorset. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
3 Bromsberrow Gloucestershire
4 Minchinhampton Gloucestershire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Somerset 015 North Somerset
2 North Somerset 020 North Somerset
3 Cherwell 009 Cherwell
4 West Dorset 009 West Dorset
5 North Somerset 017 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ricardo

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ricardo surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ricardo

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ricardo, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Ricardo surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Ricardo household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Ricardo is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ricardo is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ricardo falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ricardo is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ricardo, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ricardo

The surname Ricardo originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is a Latinized form of the Germanic name Richard, which means "brave power" or "powerful ruler". The name was likely brought to Spain by the Visigoths, a Germanic tribe that ruled parts of the Iberian Peninsula between the 5th and 8th centuries.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as Richart or Ricard in various regions of Spain, particularly in the northern areas such as Catalonia and Aragon. As the use of Latin spread throughout Europe, the name evolved into the Latinized form Ricardo, which became more common in written records and official documents.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Ricardo can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century manuscript commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. The manuscript mentions several individuals with the surname, indicating that it was already well-established in Spain by that time.

In the 15th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Bartolomé Ricardo (1445-1509), a Spanish theologian and philosopher who served as the rector of the University of Salamanca. His works on logic and metaphysics were widely influential during the Renaissance period.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Jerónimo Ricardo (1540-1624), a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of the Philippines and served as the governor of the Mariana Islands from 1596 to 1600.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Ricardo spread beyond Spain as a result of Spanish exploration and colonization efforts. It can be found in various historical records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas, particularly in Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in the Americas is that of Diego Ricardo, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. He later settled in the region and established a prominent family line.

In the 19th century, the surname gained international recognition with the birth of David Ricardo (1772-1823), a British political economist and influential thinker in the field of classical economics. Although of Jewish-Portuguese descent, his family had adopted the surname Ricardo while living in the Netherlands before settling in England.

Throughout history, the surname Ricardo has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, soldiers, explorers, and statesmen. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain, where it emerged as a Latinized form of a Germanic name, reflecting the cultural and linguistic influences that shaped the Iberian Peninsula over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ricardo families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ricardo surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 20 Ricardos recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.26x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 20 3.26x
Gloucestershire 10 8.30x
Hampshire 9 7.15x
Hertfordshire 5 11.81x
Essex 4 3.30x
Kent 3 1.43x
Lancashire 3 0.41x
Berkshire 2 4.34x
Surrey 2 0.67x
Yorkshire 2 0.33x
Denbighshire 1 4.31x
Oxfordshire 1 2.64x
Sussex 1 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Christchurch in Hampshire leads with 9 Ricardos recorded in 1881 and an index of 329.67x.

Place Total Index
Christchurch 9 329.67x
Mangotsfield 8 666.67x
Spitalfields London 8 173.16x
Broxbourne 5 595.24x
Islington London 4 6.72x
Walthamstow 4 91.74x
Hackney London 3 8.71x
Kensington London 3 8.78x
Liverpool 3 6.78x
Sheffield 2 10.32x
Bramley 1 384.62x
Cheltenham 1 10.75x
Cirencester 1 61.35x
Enfield 1 24.81x
Greenwich 1 10.22x
Hythe St Leonard 1 135.14x
Llanrwst 1 125.00x
Margate St John Baptist 1 26.04x
New Windsor 1 64.52x
Noke 1 5000.00x
Sonning 1 196.08x
Southwark Christchurch 1 34.72x
St Marylebone London 1 3.05x
West Firle 1 833.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ricardo surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Constance 2
Elizabeth 2
Mabel 2
Maria 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Dorothy 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
Margaret 1
Maude 1
Rebecca 1
Saphie 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ricardo surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Ricardo households.

FAQ

Ricardo surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ricardo surname in 1881?

In 1881, 63 people were recorded with the Ricardo surname. That placed it at #24,711 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ricardo surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 204 in 2016. That gives Ricardo a modern rank of #19,320.

What does the Ricardo surname mean?

A Spanish and Portuguese patronymic surname meaning "son of Richard," derived from the Germanic elements "ric" (power) and "hard" (brave).

What does the Ricardo map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ricardo bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.