NameCensus.

UK surname

Riches

A surname derived from the Old French "riche", meaning wealthy or prosperous.

In the 1881 census there were 3,424 people recorded with the Riches surname, ranking it #1,333 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,500, ranked #1,509, down from #1,333 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Matthew Bethnal Green and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Norfolk and Norwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Riches is 4,970 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.4%.

1881 census count

3,424

Ranked #1,333

Modern count

4,500

2016, ranked #1,509

Peak year

1999

4,970 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Riches had 3,424 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,333 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,500 in 2016, ranked #1,509.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,674 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Riches surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Riches surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Riches 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 2,224 #1,320
1861 historical 2,229 #1,321
1881 historical 3,424 #1,333
1891 historical 3,518 #1,357
1901 historical 4,208 #1,337
1911 historical 4,674 #1,106
1997 modern 4,791 #1,368
1998 modern 4,927 #1,387
1999 modern 4,970 #1,382
2000 modern 4,896 #1,393
2001 modern 4,808 #1,387
2002 modern 4,799 #1,417
2003 modern 4,676 #1,421
2004 modern 4,702 #1,405
2005 modern 4,551 #1,438
2006 modern 4,487 #1,460
2007 modern 4,483 #1,474
2008 modern 4,532 #1,468
2009 modern 4,650 #1,468
2010 modern 4,727 #1,477
2011 modern 4,701 #1,460
2012 modern 4,580 #1,473
2013 modern 4,700 #1,460
2014 modern 4,660 #1,484
2015 modern 4,583 #1,491
2016 modern 4,500 #1,509

Geography

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Where Riches' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Matthew Bethnal Green, Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Norfolk and Norwich. 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 London parishes London 3
3 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
4 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk
5 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Norfolk 009 South Norfolk
2 South Norfolk 011 South Norfolk
3 Norwich 006 Norwich
4 South Norfolk 013 South Norfolk
5 Norwich 002 Norwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Riches

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Riches

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Riches, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Riches surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Riches 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Riches is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Riches is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Riches falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Riches 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Riches

The surname Riches is of English origin and is thought to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English or Anglo-Saxon words "ric" meaning rich or powerful and "æsc" meaning ash tree. Together, these words formed the place name "Ricassch" or "Riccassc", which likely referred to an area where ash trees grew abundantly on a wealthy or prominent estate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Riches can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1199, which mention a Hugo de Riches. The name also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire in 1221, where a Robert de Riches is listed. These early records suggest that the name was well-established in the West Midlands region of England by the early 13th century.

The Riches surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a John de Riches. This record provides evidence that the name had spread to other parts of England by the late 13th century. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 mention a William Riches, indicating that the name had evolved to its modern spelling by the 14th century.

One notable figure with the surname Riches was Sir Robert Riches, a wealthy English merchant and Lord Mayor of London who lived from around 1510 to 1579. He was appointed Sheriff of London in 1556 and served as Lord Mayor in 1567-1568. Another prominent individual was Ralph Riches, an English Puritan minister who lived from 1576 to 1619. He was a renowned preacher and author of several religious works.

In the 17th century, a John Riches was born in Worcestershire in 1624. He later emigrated to America and settled in Taunton, Massachusetts, where he became one of the first settlers of the town. His descendants went on to spread the Riches name throughout the United States.

Other notable individuals with the surname Riches include Sir Thomas Riches (1685-1762), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Wallingford, and Naomi Riches (1789-1847), an English writer and poet who published several works in the early 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Riches families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Riches 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. Norfolk leads with 1,375 Riches' recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.77x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 1,375 26.77x
Middlesex 540 1.62x
Suffolk 418 10.27x
Surrey 312 1.92x
Essex 131 1.99x
Yorkshire 128 0.39x
Kent 116 1.02x
Lancashire 53 0.13x
Durham 37 0.37x
Cambridgeshire 32 1.51x
Northumberland 30 0.60x
Lincolnshire 28 0.52x
Glamorgan 25 0.43x
Sussex 25 0.44x
Gloucestershire 17 0.26x
Staffordshire 17 0.15x
Warwickshire 17 0.20x
Hertfordshire 15 0.65x
Derbyshire 13 0.25x
Worcestershire 13 0.30x
Cornwall 10 0.26x
Somerset 10 0.19x
Northamptonshire 9 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.40x
Devon 8 0.12x
Berkshire 7 0.28x
Hampshire 6 0.09x
Rutland 6 2.45x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.09x
Leicestershire 3 0.08x
Channel Islands 2 0.20x
Flintshire 2 0.22x
Bedfordshire 1 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.07x
Cheshire 1 0.01x
Cumberland 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.05x
Perthshire 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 108 Riches' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.44x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 108 7.44x
Great Yarmouth 108 25.39x
Fressingfield 62 472.92x
Newington 52 4.21x
West Ham 51 3.50x
Lakenham 49 67.15x
St Pancras London 49 1.82x
Islington London 47 1.45x
Lambeth 45 1.55x
Heigham 44 15.96x
Hackney London 42 2.24x
Camberwell 39 1.83x
East Ruston 38 498.03x
North Walsham 35 94.52x
Bermondsey 30 3.02x
Hedenham 27 841.12x
Holy Trinity 26 3.27x
Shoreditch London 26 1.80x
Mile End Old Town 25 4.74x
Southwark St George Martyr 24 3.57x
St Marylebone London 24 1.35x
Lowestoft 23 11.97x
Paddington London 23 1.87x
Beccles 21 32.07x
Dersingham 21 181.19x
Croydon 20 2.21x
Hammersmith London 20 2.43x
Ipswich St Mathew 20 17.54x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 20 12.97x
Briston 18 184.80x
Metfield 18 269.46x
Brightlingsea 17 45.13x
Ipswich St Helen 17 35.25x
Mendham 17 196.99x
Sheffield 17 1.61x
Wrentham 17 150.71x
Bedlington 16 9.64x
Deptford St Paul 16 1.82x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 16 3.72x
Hockham 16 274.44x
Hornsey 16 3.79x
Kensington London 16 0.86x
Tittleshall 16 272.11x
Bungay St Mary 15 74.40x
Farnham 15 11.85x
Ipswich St Clement 15 14.51x
Margate St John Baptist 15 7.19x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 15 45.00x
Woolwich 15 3.56x
Wymondham 15 28.57x
Corpusty 14 323.33x
Pulham St Mary Virgin 14 148.62x
Southwark St Saviour 14 8.16x
Wood Dalling 14 253.16x
Earsham 13 185.98x
Heckingham 13 344.83x
Roydon In Guiltcross 13 185.71x
Attleborough 12 46.26x
Cardiff St John 12 6.32x
Leziate 12 512.82x
Orford 12 91.53x
St George Martyr 12 21.31x
Wiggenhall St Mary 12 150.75x
Alderton 11 180.62x
Battersea 11 0.90x
Bromley London 11 1.50x
Burnham Overy 11 156.03x
Catfield 11 152.14x
Chelsea London 11 1.09x
Mitcham 11 10.69x
Norwich St Benedict 11 48.06x
Preston 11 1.04x
Stalham 11 112.02x
West Newton 11 292.55x
Woodbridge 11 21.15x
Bungay Holy Trinity 10 47.89x
Caistor Next Yarmouth 10 55.31x
Great Clacton 10 44.56x
Pentney 10 163.67x
Syderstone 10 169.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 180
Elizabeth 136
Sarah 117
Emma 70
Eliza 61
Alice 58
Ellen 48
Ann 45
Harriet 45
Maria 44
Jane 42
Hannah 41
Martha 36
Emily 35
Edith 33
Annie 27
Charlotte 27
Louisa 26
Caroline 21
Susan 20
Florence 19
Harriett 19
Lucy 18
Margaret 18
Rebecca 18
Ada 17
Anna 16
Catherine 16
Kate 14
Esther 13
Frances 13
Agnes 12
Lydia 12
Rose 12
Matilda 11
Susannah 11
Amelia 10
Anne 10
Eleanor 10
Fanny 10
Laura 10
Bertha 9
Clara 9
Rosa 9
Susanna 9
Minnie 8
Ruth 7
Gertrude 6
Julia 6
Sophia 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 219
John 176
George 129
James 108
Robert 104
Henry 90
Thomas 83
Charles 78
Arthur 46
Samuel 44
Alfred 37
Edward 35
Frederick 32
Harry 30
Walter 28
Herbert 23
Albert 22
Richard 20
Isaac 19
Benjamin 17
Ernest 15
Frank 14
Francis 11
David 10
Joseph 9
Edmund 7
Fredk. 7
Philip 7
Stephen 7
Chas. 6
Edgar 6
Frederic 6
Leonard 6
Thos. 6
Daniel 5
Fred 5
Wm. 5
Geo. 4
Henery 4
Jacob 4
Jeremiah 4
Jno. 4
Jonathan 4
Martin 4
Percy 4
Phillip 4
Saml. 4
Benjiman 3
Michael 3
Sydney 3

FAQ

Riches surname: questions and answers

How common was the Riches surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,424 people were recorded with the Riches surname. That placed it at #1,333 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Riches surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,500 in 2016. That gives Riches a modern rank of #1,509.

What does the Riches surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French "riche", meaning wealthy or prosperous.

What does the Riches map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Riches 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.