Surname Rickett - Meaning and Origin
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Rickett: What does the surname Rickett mean?
The last name Rickett is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from an Old English personal name 'Ricard' or 'Richard', meaning "hard ruler". The earliest record of the surname dates back to the year 1230 in Leicestershire, England. The "-ett" suffix often implies little or dear, suggesting the name might have originally been a nickname, perhaps for a benign ruler or a term of endearment for someone named Richard. Like many surnames, its form has changed and developed over centuries due to factors such as regional dialects and literacy levels. Variations of the surname Rickett include Ricketts, Rickitt, and Ricket. Today it is found in many English-speaking countries, although it remains most common in England. The demographic spread of the name was likely influenced by British colonial history and emigration patterns. As with any surname, individual families with the name Rickett may trace their ancestry back to different roots.
Order DNA origin analysisRickett: Where does the name Rickett come from?
The surname Rickett is found primarily in British and Irish records. In England, the distribution of the name is focused in the counties of Essex and Kent. In fact, according to statistics from 2019, Greater London is the area of the UK with the highest concentration of people bearing the surname Rickett.
In Ireland, the surname is found mostly in the rural areas of counties Sligo and Donegal, where it was one of the most common surnames prior to the Great Famine in the mid-19th century. Despite this, the distribution of the surname is still concentrated in Dublin and Galway.
Outside of the British Isles, the surname is somewhat rare. In the United States, the surname is most frequently found in Pennsylvania, but is not very common. The same is true for Canada, where the name is found in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
Overall, the last name Rickett is more common in certain parts of England and Ireland than it is outside the British Isles. It is these areas, along with their diaspora communities in the USA, Canada and elsewhere that are likely to have the highest concentrations of people bearing this surname today.
Variations of the surname Rickett
The surname Rickett is derived from the Old English given name 'Ricca' and has a number of spelling variations. Common variants are Ryckett, Ryckett, Rycett and Rychett.
The Rickett surname can also be found in other languages, such as French and Italian, with variations including Riquet, Risquet, and Ricquet. It may have also been derived from Riquet de Bonneval, a 17th century French engineer who was famous for his organization and achievement of the Canal du Midi.
In some cases, a person with the Rickett surname may have been adopted by another family member whose name had been changed to Rickett, or the name may have been shortened from Ricard.
The Rickett surname may also be found in Jewish families. These families may have adopted the name when they moved to England during the 16th to 17th century.
Matronymic surnames (where the mother's name is used) with the same origin as the Rickett name include Riccardi and Riccarton.
Finally, geographic surnames derived from the Rickett surname include Rackett, Ricket, Ritcher, and Ritchey. These surnames may have been derived from a geographic location near where an ancestor lived.
Famous people with the name Rickett
- Tom Ricketts: businessman, owner of the Chicago Cubs
- Darius Ricketts: former professional football player
- Paul Ricketts: British actor
- David Ricketts: movie producer, director, and editor
- Craig Ricketts: former professional cricket player
- Tony Ricketts: former Australian NASCAR driver
- Tim Ricketts: British physicist
- Jonathan Ricketts: former professional tennis player
- Manasseh Ricketts: Olympic cyclist
- Robert Ricketts: British Army officer