Richard surname meaning

Richard is a surname formed from the widely used medieval personal name Richard. The name is Germanic, traditionally analyzed through elements associated with “power” or “rule” and “brave” or “hardy”; that familiar “brave ruler” gloss belongs to the given name rather than literally describing each Richard ancestor. The surname could arise independently in many regions from different men called Richard. Richards, Ricard, and Rickard are useful English and European forms, but spelling similarity alone does not prove kinship. The catalog uses parent’s name with high confidence because the surname’s personal-name formation is direct and well established.