NameCensus.

UK surname

Ritchings

A locational surname deriving from the places called "Richings" in Surrey and Sussex.

In the 1881 census there were 152 people recorded with the Ritchings surname, ranking it #15,372 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 181, ranked #20,955, down from #15,372 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Rochdale and Swindon, Lyddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Cotswold and South Gloucestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ritchings is 223 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.1%.

1881 census count

152

Ranked #15,372

Modern count

181

2016, ranked #20,955

Peak year

1911

223 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ritchings had 152 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,372 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016, ranked #20,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 223 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ritchings surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ritchings surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ritchings 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 55 #23,413
1861 historical 91 #22,206
1881 historical 152 #15,372
1891 historical 197 #15,101
1901 historical 222 #14,169
1911 historical 223 #13,951
1997 modern 179 #18,889
1998 modern 194 #18,451
1999 modern 181 #19,380
2000 modern 187 #18,990
2001 modern 181 #19,106
2002 modern 186 #19,150
2003 modern 174 #19,760
2004 modern 182 #19,306
2005 modern 187 #18,924
2006 modern 174 #19,921
2007 modern 178 #19,887
2008 modern 192 #19,143
2009 modern 193 #19,463
2010 modern 199 #19,515
2011 modern 202 #19,154
2012 modern 192 #19,730
2013 modern 194 #19,932
2014 modern 190 #20,374
2015 modern 184 #20,719
2016 modern 181 #20,955

Geography

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Where Ritchings' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Rochdale, Swindon, Lyddington, London parishes and Siddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Cotswold, South Gloucestershire and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
4 London parishes London 1
5 Siddington Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 001 Wiltshire
2 Cotswold 010 Cotswold
3 Cotswold 008 Cotswold
4 South Gloucestershire 007 South Gloucestershire
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 009 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ritchings

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ritchings

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Ritchings is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ritchings is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ritchings falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ritchings 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 Ritchings, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ritchings

The surname Ritchings originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "riccing," which means "a ridge" or "a hill." This suggests that the name was originally given to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hillside.

The earliest known record of the surname Ritchings is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where a person named Radulfus de Richinges is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 12th century and may have been associated with a specific place name or location.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including Ritchinge, Rychynge, and Richinges, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time period. One notable individual bearing this surname was Roger de Ritchinge, who was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1246.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname continued to evolve, with variations such as Rychinges, Richings, and Ritchings becoming more prevalent. In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a person named John Rychinges is listed, further establishing the presence of the surname in different regions of England.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Ritchings was William Ritchings, who was born in 1487 and served as a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. In the 16th century, another notable figure was Thomas Ritchings (1520-1598), a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.

As the surname spread across England, it became associated with various place names, such as Ritchings Farm in Wiltshire and Ritchings Lane in Hertfordshire. The name also appeared in historical records like the Hearth Tax Rolls of Cambridgeshire in the late 17th century, where individuals like John Ritchings and William Ritchings were listed.

Other notable individuals with the surname Ritchings include Sir John Ritchings (1650-1728), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Wiltshire, and Edward Ritchings (1725-1801), a successful merchant and philanthropist who supported various charitable causes in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ritchings families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ritchings 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 81 Ritchings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.86x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 81 27.86x
Glamorgan 11 4.26x
Lancashire 11 0.63x
Wiltshire 9 6.86x
Middlesex 8 0.54x
Berkshire 6 5.39x
Herefordshire 5 8.23x
Oxfordshire 5 5.46x
Kent 4 0.79x
Worcestershire 4 2.07x
Hertfordshire 3 2.94x
Brecknockshire 2 6.75x
Buckinghamshire 2 2.23x
Flintshire 1 2.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cirencester in Gloucestershire leads with 25 Ritchings' recorded in 1881 and an index of 634.52x.

Place Total Index
Cirencester 25 634.52x
Siddington 14 5600.00x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 13 47.48x
Margam 9 312.50x
Accrington 7 43.78x
Somerford Keynes 6 3750.00x
Much Dewchurch 5 1724.14x
Oxford St Clement 5 216.45x
Prescott 5 16666.67x
Siston 5 961.54x
Tetbury 5 303.03x
Newchurch 4 27.80x
Preston 4 2857.14x
Wokingham 4 157.48x
Worcester St John 4 173.16x
Hemel Hempstead 3 65.22x
Bremhill 2 338.98x
Coln St Dennis 2 2000.00x
Hawkesbury 2 202.02x
Islington London 2 1.39x
Iver 2 172.41x
Llangunider 2 108.11x
Llanwonno 2 21.55x
Paddington London 2 3.67x
Plumstead 2 11.86x
Wantage 2 112.99x
Avening 1 97.09x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.55x
Bristol St Paul In 1 12.90x
Coates 1 416.67x
Gloucester St John Baptist 1 53.19x
Hampton London 1 40.98x
Holywell 1 20.00x
Kensington London 1 1.21x
Lee 1 13.62x
Malmesbury St Paul 1 88.50x
Mile End Old Town 1 4.27x
Randwick 1 175.44x
Stroud 1 17.67x
Tonbridge 1 5.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 10
Mary 9
Jane 7
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Anna 3
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Ruth 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Minnie 1
Rose 1
Selina 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 13
Charles 7
Alfred 5
Henry 5
John 5
George 4
Edward 3
James 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Caleb 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Stephen 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Abraham 1
Absolom 1
Christopher 1
David 1
F.L.John 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Joseph 1
Martin 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thos.Robert 1

FAQ

Ritchings surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ritchings surname in 1881?

In 1881, 152 people were recorded with the Ritchings surname. That placed it at #15,372 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ritchings surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016. That gives Ritchings a modern rank of #20,955.

What does the Ritchings surname mean?

A locational surname deriving from the places called "Richings" in Surrey and Sussex.

What does the Ritchings map show?

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