Richardson
About Richardson
Richardson is a masculine name with English origins, traditionally used as a surname meaning 'son of Richard.' Richard itself combines Germanic elements meaning 'powerful' and 'ruler,' making Richardson essentially mean 'son of the powerful ruler.' As a first name, Richardson is uncommon, having never ranked among popular given names in the US or UK. It represents the trend of using surnames as first names, appealing to families looking for formal, distinguished-sounding names or those wishing to honor someone with the Richardson surname. The name offers friendly nicknames like Rich, Rick, or Richie. It carries connotations of dignity and tradition while maintaining its distinctiveness as a first name.
Pronounced RICH-urd-sun.
As of October 2026, Richardson ranked #8110 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #2500 in 1928.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |
Richardson on lists
Famous Richardsons
- Henry Hobson Richardson
American architect, founder of the Richardsonian Romanesque style
- Owen Willans Richardson
British physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics
- Samuel Richardson
English novelist