Richardson is a surname of English origin that means "son of Richard". It is derived from the Old German given name Ricohardus, which is composed of the elements ric, meaning "power" or "strong", and hard, meaning "brave" or "hardy".
The surname Richardson was first recorded in the early 14th century, when John Richardson was listed in the Register of the Freemen of the City of York. Over time, various branches of the Richardson family have spread throughout England and other parts of the world.
In the United States, Richardson is one of the most common surnames, ranking among the top 200 most popular names. It has also been carried to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa by early settlers from Britain.
Some notable people with the surname Richardson include the American actors Natalie Wood (born Natasha Gurdin) and David Lynch, as well as the English footballer Danny Richardson. Additionally, the Canadian author Mordecai Richler was born Maurice Edwin Richter before changing his name to Richardson.
The statistics provided show the annual number of births with the name Richardson in the United States from 1919 to 2023. The data reveals a varied pattern over the years, with some peaks and valleys.
The highest number of births recorded was 16 in the year 2000, indicating that this was the most popular year for parents choosing the name Richardson. However, it's worth noting that the number of births has not been consistently high throughout the years, with several years seeing only a handful of Richardson babies.
The data also shows a recent resurgence in popularity, with numbers increasing from 5 births in 2015 to 14 births in 2016, followed by a slight dip but remaining relatively high until the most recent year recorded, which is 2023 with 14 births.
Overall, while the name Richardson has seen some fluctuations in popularity over the years, it has maintained a consistent presence among newborns in the United States. The total number of births with this name from 1919 to 2023 stands at 646, indicating that many families have chosen Richardson as a meaningful and memorable name for their children throughout history.