NameCensus.

UK surname

Rickards

An English surname derived from the given name Richard.

In the 1881 census there were 769 people recorded with the Rickards surname, ranking it #4,804 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,429, ranked #4,282, up from #4,804 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Derbyshire Dales and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rickards is 1,516 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.8%.

1881 census count

769

Ranked #4,804

Modern count

1,429

2016, ranked #4,282

Peak year

2002

1,516 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rickards had 769 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,804 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,429 in 2016, ranked #4,282.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 913 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rickards surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rickards surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rickards 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 415 #5,850
1861 historical 368 #6,935
1881 historical 769 #4,804
1891 historical 676 #5,774
1901 historical 913 #5,087
1911 historical 832 #5,305
1997 modern 1,420 #4,094
1998 modern 1,482 #4,099
1999 modern 1,489 #4,112
2000 modern 1,503 #4,061
2001 modern 1,492 #3,999
2002 modern 1,516 #4,033
2003 modern 1,483 #4,040
2004 modern 1,460 #4,084
2005 modern 1,439 #4,100
2006 modern 1,416 #4,159
2007 modern 1,421 #4,182
2008 modern 1,425 #4,205
2009 modern 1,443 #4,236
2010 modern 1,469 #4,254
2011 modern 1,455 #4,241
2012 modern 1,423 #4,246
2013 modern 1,448 #4,257
2014 modern 1,448 #4,288
2015 modern 1,433 #4,278
2016 modern 1,429 #4,282

Geography

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Where Rickards' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Derbyshire Dales, Plymouth and Sedgemoor. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 009 Forest of Dean
2 Forest of Dean 010 Forest of Dean
3 Derbyshire Dales 006 Derbyshire Dales
4 Plymouth 026 Plymouth
5 Sedgemoor 001 Sedgemoor

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rickards

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rickards

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rickards, 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 Rickards surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rickards 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rickards is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rickards is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rickards 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 Rickards 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 Rickards, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rickards

The surname RICKARDS originated in England, likely during the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "ric" meaning rich or powerful, and "ard" meaning a high or elevated piece of land.

This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in or came from a prosperous or prominent area situated on higher ground. Similar early spellings included Ricard, Rickard, and Rykard.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1182, where a William Ricard is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also lists a John Ricardessone in Cambridgeshire.

The RICKARDS surname has been found in various historical documents over the centuries, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1399, which references a John Rycard. In the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1524, a Thomas Rykard is listed.

Prominent individuals with the RICKARDS surname include Sir Robert Rickards (1561-1636), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1616. John Rickards (c.1638-1711) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

Henry Rickards (1701-1763) was a Welsh lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the King's Bench. Michael Rickards (1747-1822) was a British naval officer who achieved the rank of Rear Admiral and fought in several battles during the American Revolutionary War.

Another notable figure was George Kettilby Rickards (1812-1889), a British journalist and author who co-founded the publication The Economist and served as its first editor from 1843 to 1860.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rickards families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rickards 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. Gloucestershire leads with 136 Rickards' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.23x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 136 9.23x
Middlesex 118 1.57x
Shropshire 66 10.17x
Surrey 64 1.75x
Yorkshire 61 0.82x
Lancashire 45 0.50x
Warwickshire 44 2.32x
Kent 28 1.09x
Worcestershire 25 2.55x
Hampshire 15 0.97x
Monmouthshire 15 2.76x
Buckinghamshire 13 2.86x
Derbyshire 10 0.85x
Suffolk 10 1.09x
Staffordshire 9 0.36x
Devon 8 0.51x
Somerset 8 0.66x
Cornwall 7 0.82x
Durham 7 0.31x
Lincolnshire 7 0.58x
Pembrokeshire 7 2.93x
Sussex 7 0.55x
Wiltshire 7 1.05x
Glamorgan 6 0.46x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.59x
Midlothian 5 0.50x
Oxfordshire 5 1.08x
Radnorshire 5 8.25x
Cumberland 4 0.62x
Herefordshire 4 1.30x
Northumberland 4 0.36x
Cheshire 3 0.18x
Essex 2 0.13x
Hertfordshire 2 0.39x
Montgomeryshire 2 1.16x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.14x
Anglesey 1 0.75x
Northamptonshire 1 0.14x
Royal Navy 1 1.12x
Rutland 1 1.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 21 Rickards' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.21x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 21 3.21x
Birmingham 20 3.17x
Thornbury 20 198.61x
Culmington 17 1188.81x
Lewisham 17 12.44x
Bristol St George 15 22.02x
Aston 14 2.68x
Shipton Moyne 14 1284.40x
Paddington London 13 4.71x
St Pancras London 13 2.15x
Ecclesall Bierlow 12 7.93x
Ludlow St Lawrence 12 92.95x
Aylesbury 11 54.67x
Islington London 11 1.51x
Aspull 10 47.71x
Bethnal Green London 10 3.06x
Clifton 10 13.43x
Edgbaston 10 17.03x
Newington 10 3.60x
Redditch 10 50.28x
Aldershot 9 17.45x
Aldringham 9 687.02x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 6.36x
Kensington London 9 2.16x
Stanton Lacy 9 160.71x
Handsworth 8 40.65x
Stafford St Mary 8 22.29x
Throxenby 8 2424.24x
Wotton Under Edge 8 92.17x
Derby St Michael 7 283.40x
Ealing 7 10.43x
Faversham 7 28.64x
Newington Bagpath 7 1428.57x
Pembroke St Michael 7 202.31x
Pool 7 472.97x
St Marylebone London 7 1.75x
Whitson 7 2916.67x
Willesden 7 9.89x
Ashton Under Lyne 6 3.08x
Chelsea London 6 2.65x
Gateshead 6 3.59x
Leatherhead 6 65.43x
Spittlegate 6 36.12x
St George Hanover 6 6.12x
St Mary Le Strand 6 251.05x
Walcot 6 9.32x
Westbury On Severn East 6 18.02x
Bitterley 5 194.55x
Brighton 5 1.96x
Brightside Bierlow 5 3.43x
Croydon 5 2.46x
Edinburgh St Stephens 5 25.24x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 5 91.07x
Hopesay 5 303.03x
Knighton 5 102.04x
Nottingham St Mary 5 1.91x
Penge 5 10.42x
Skipton 5 21.35x
Streatham 5 8.97x
Tottenham 5 4.18x
Winterbourne 5 61.43x
Wortley In Bramley 5 8.48x
York Holy Trinity Kings 5 326.80x
Cirencester 4 20.06x
Fairford 4 101.78x
Gloucester Longford St 4 200.00x
Highworth 4 47.11x
Hindley 4 10.53x
Kidderminster Borough 4 6.97x
Llanwonno 4 8.51x
Low Holme 4 109.59x
Newton Abbot St Mary 4 30.49x
Shoreditch London 4 1.23x
St Martin In Fields 4 8.89x
Wellington 4 10.97x
Worcester Blockhouse 4 74.21x
Longtown 3 157.07x
Marshfield 3 223.88x
Rockhampton 3 526.32x
Stoke Damerel 3 2.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 59
Elizabeth 35
Sarah 24
Jane 18
Ann 16
Annie 15
Eliza 14
Ellen 13
Emily 12
Caroline 9
Margaret 9
Alice 8
Charlotte 7
Fanny 7
Hannah 7
Louisa 7
Lydia 7
Ada 6
Emma 6
Edith 5
Kate 5
Maria 5
Beatrice 3
Clara 3
Harriet 3
Helen 3
Jessie 3
Laura 3
Martha 3
Rebecca 3
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Eleanor 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Grace 2
Harriett 2
Hester 2
Julia 2
Lillie 2
Mabel 2
Margret 2
Rachel 2
Rosa 2
Susan 2
Amy 1
Betsy 1
Elaza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 37
William 36
George 27
Charles 24
Thomas 17
Henry 16
James 14
Arthur 13
Frederick 11
Robert 11
Edward 10
Walter 10
Richard 9
Albert 8
Alfred 8
Joseph 7
Edwin 6
Harry 6
Benjamin 5
Daniel 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Andrew 2
Archibald 2
Benjn. 2
Edmund 2
Frank 2
Hely 2
Herbert 2
Hervy 2
Josiah 2
Marcus 2
Mathew 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Artemas 1
Chales 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Hardwick 1
Harriett 1
Josh. 1
Mabel 1
Oliver 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Reese 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Rickards surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rickards surname in 1881?

In 1881, 769 people were recorded with the Rickards surname. That placed it at #4,804 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rickards surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,429 in 2016. That gives Rickards a modern rank of #4,282.

What does the Rickards surname mean?

An English surname derived from the given name Richard.

What does the Rickards map show?

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