An English surname, Richardson means the son of Richard. The given name of Richard comes from the Germanic term ‘ric’ which means powerful and ‘hardy‘ means brave.

Three other spellings for Richardson include Ritson, Ricson, Richardsson, Richards, Richardson, Richardsen, Richison and Richson.

In Sweden the surname is spelled Richardsson.

In England the Richardson surname is very common in the northern region and in the London area. In Scotland, many Richardsons are along the southern border.

Within the United States most of the eastern half of the country have Richardson families. The main exceptions would be West Virginia, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Many Richardsons are also in the Great Plains states like Kansas, Iowa and Oklahoma, besides Texas and further west to California.

Famous: Ashley Richardson (model), Dick Richardson (English boxer), Henry Hobson Richardson (19th century architect), Jason Richardson (professional basketball player), Neil Richardson (English music composer), Patricia Richardson (actress), Samuel Richardson (18th century English author) and Thomas Richardson ( professional wrestler).