Richards Family History, Genealogy & Ancestry

The Richards Family

13,898 Richards records from public death, burial and census records and the old county histories, in all 12 Midwestern states we cover. Every name is a real person in the public record, and we follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

13,898Records in our database

1816Earliest birth

3Documented families

2Biographies

See the Richards family trees →848 Richards families pieced together from public birth and death records, county histories and old newspapers

At a glance

13,898 Richards records in our database

From public death, burial and census records across 12 Midwestern states. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how). Tap a state or a decade to narrow the list of ancestors below.

Where

fewer more

When they were born

Most records: Ohio (2,919 of 13,898)
Most common birth decade: the 1910s
Earliest birth in the database: George Hersey Richards, born 1816, Illinois

Most common first names

William382 John350 Robert285 Mary274 James247 Charles223 George200 Helen174 Margaret134 Harold124 Thomas124 Donald114

Documented families

Richards families we have traced

Written from county histories and public records, every fact cited. We follow set rules to leave living people out (how).

Family histories, generation by generation (1)

The Richards family of Linn CountyIowaStarts: Daniel Richards and Sarah (Lewis) Richards (b. 1818)Most recent: Elmer E. Richards (b. 1866)

Family records from county histories (2)

Charles Richards 1804 to 1871Brown County, OhioStarts: Charles Richards (b. 1804), from VirginiaMost recent: Joseph Perry Richards Joseph Perry RichardsBrown County, OhioStarts: Charles Richards & Elizabeth ConnellMost recent: William Richards, Charles C. Richards, Marion Lee Richards

The earliest Richardss in the county histories

John J. RichardsBorn 1804, Frederick countyCoshocton County, Ohio Joseph Perry RichardsBorn 1809Brown County, Ohio Richard G. RichardsBorn 1810Erie County, Ohio Joseph L. RichardsBorn 1818Clark County, Ohio Thomas H. RichardsBorn 1824, Madison countyChild of Reason Richards and Elizabeth (Patterson) RichardsCooper County, Missouri John P. RichardsBorn 1827, Seneca CountyChild of James Richards and Matilda (Pearl) RichardsHardin County, Ohio

Family trees from the public record

848 Richards families: parents, brothers and sistersFrom state birth and death indexes, county histories and old newspapers, most recent deaths first

In old newspapers

45 Richards death notices, 1837 to 1925Obituaries and funeral notices from Midwest papers scanned by the Library of Congress, with the original pages

In the county history family index

56 Richards people in 39 countiesBirth years, birthplaces, parents and spouses, from the old county histories

Biographies from the county histories (2)

Lewis W. RichardsBorn 1852 · Linn County, Iowa Clarence E. RichardsBorn 1865 · Franklin County, Ohio

Done-for-you research

Trace your documented Richards family

Found your Richards? We trace your family back as far as the records go and write it up as a family history book, every source cited. No DNA test and no sales call: we take a free first look, then email you a plan and a flat price before you spend a dollar.

Common questions

Richards genealogy: FAQ

Where does the Richards surname come from?

'Son of Richard' (Germanic 'strong ruler').

Where were Richards ancestors recorded?

Our database holds 13,898 Richards records from all 12 Midwestern states. The most are in Ohio (2,919), then Missouri (1,920) and Michigan (1,774).

How far back does the Richards family tree go?

The earliest Richards birth in our database is 1816: George Hersey Richards, Illinois. We have pieced together 848 Richards family trees from public birth and death records.

Are living Richards family members listed here?

Not knowingly. We follow set rules to leave living people out of our public pages. If you find a living relative listed here, email us and we will take the record down.

Is this my Richards family?

Maybe. Many people share a name, so treat any match as a possible match until the dates and places line up with what you know about your family. Every person here links to their own page with the details, and we can trace your line for you.