History of your Surname
Get access to Richardson family records.Start a free trial

Richardson Family History

Richardson Name Meaning

English: patronymic from the Middle English personal name Richard + -son. This surname is also very common among African Americans. Compare Ritson . Americanized form (and a Swedish variant) of Swedish Richardsson or Rikardsson: patronymic from the personal name Richard Rikard. Americanized form of Norwegian and Danish Richardsen or Norwegian Rikardsen cognates of 2 above.

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


Similar surnames: Richards, Michaelson, Richard, Ricardo, Riccardo, Cardon, Richarson

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Richardson family from?

You can see how Richardson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Richardson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Richardson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 514 Richardson families living in Massachusetts. This was about 15% of all the recorded Richardson's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Richardson families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Richardson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Richardson ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Richardson. 17% of Richardson men worked as a Laborer and 9% of Richardson women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Richardson were Truck Driver and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Richardson | 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 1940

  • Laborer
    17%
  • Farmer
    16%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Cook
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Richardson family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search US census records for Richardson

Passenger Lists

There are 232,000 immigration records available for the last name Richardson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Richardson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 277,000 military records available for the last name Richardson. For the veterans among your Richardson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Richardson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Richardson family history

Discover More

What is the average Richardson lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Richardson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Richardson in 1940 was 34, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Richardson

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Richardson family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Richardson last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial