Recorded in over one hundred spelling forms ranging from the German Reichardt, Richardi, and Richar, the English Richard, the French Ricard, the Flemish Rickaert, and diminutives or patronymics such as Riccardi, Liccardi, Richards, Richardson, Richardeau, Rickertssen and many others, this ancient surname is of pre 7th century Germanic origins. Deriving from the twin elements of 'ric' and 'hard', and translating as "powerful ruler", the name spread throughout Europe in the early medieval period.
It was no doubt considerably helped in its popularity by its meaning, but the greatest impetus to its success came in the 12th century with the legendary exploits of King Richard 1st of England, (and much of France). He was the most prominent leader of the famous Crusades to free the Holy Land, and he became known throughout Christendom as 'Coeur de Leon'. Despite his 'title', Richard, Coeur de Leon, was unsuccessful in his attempts to suppress the Muslims, but by his efforts he achieved more than the other leaders, who in the manner of the human race far and wide, were not pleased. Early examples of the surname recording taken from authentic European rolls and registers of the period include: Nicol Richart of Basle, Switzerland, in the year 1260, Richardus Richardi of Pfullingen, Germany in 1273, and Thomas Richard, in the Oxfordshire 'Hundred Rolls' of England in 1276. Other recordings from these ancient times include Thomas Richardes of Worcester, England in 1327, and Olbrecht Reichart of Dresden, Germany, in 1396. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Research into the possible origins of richardt leads us to learn more about those who bear this surname. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname richardt is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation.
There is a considerable probability that richardt has crossed the borders of its place of origin to establish itself, to a greater or lesser extent, in other parts of the world. With all the information we have today, it can be said that the countries where richardt is most abundant are the following. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname richardt provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.
The deeds, the way of life, the places they lived, the family relationships they had, the jobs they held by those who were the first to be named richardt are found in every look back in the history of this lineage. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname richardt, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of richardt developed.
It is common for genealogy and surname enthusiasts to provide us with information of special value, so the data we offer about the origins of richardt could be modified. We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about richardt and send it to us, we will update it on this website.
We assume that there have been significant contributions to humanity made by individuals with the surname richardt, even though not all have been documented to our present day. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname richardt were recorded by the chroniclers of the time.
The bibliography collects information related to the surname richardt, which allows us to learn more about its meaning. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of richardt are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of richardt, and at the same time, of surnames in general.