The Richardson Coat of Arms and Name Meaning
Discover the meaning of Richardson, its origins in England, and the story behind a Richardson family crest.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Richardson coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Richardson name
Richardson is a patronymic meaning "son of Richard". Richard is a Germanic name joining ric, "power", and hard, "brave, hardy", brought to England by the Normans. The surname took strong root in northern England, especially Yorkshire and Durham, and became widespread in America and Australia.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Richardson name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Richardson name in England. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Australia and Canada; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Richardson family history
The complete Richardson pack goes much further: documented origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
Richardson name FAQ
What does the Richardson name mean?
Son of Richard, "brave power". Common variants include Richards, Richarson, Dickson.
Where does the Richardson surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Richardson coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Richardson crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Richardson coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.