Where does “Richardson” come from?
Richardson is an English patronymic surname derived from Richard, which comes from Old French Richard, ultimately from Latin Ricohardus, a name composed of elements meaning "powerful" and "hard."
Richardson (English): A placename
Definitions
- A placename
Ancestry of “Richardson”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Richard | A turd |
| 2 | Middle English | Rycharde | — |
| 3 | Old French | Richard | — |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | Richardus | — |
| 5 | Frankish | Rīkahard | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | Rīkaharduz | A male given name |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | rīks | king, ruler |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | rīxs | king |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rḗǵs | king, ruler |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |