Reichard
A German surname that usually developed as a shortened or reshaped form of the personal name Richard.
The #8,650 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 81,270 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Reichard is generally treated as a German surname formed from the old personal name Richard, with spelling influenced by German sound patterns. The underlying name goes back to Germanic elements meaning roughly 'powerful, strong' and 'hardy' or 'brave.' In some older German name studies, Reichard is grouped with many regional spelling and sound variants of Richard.
History
The name appears in German surname scholarship as one of several variants and offshoots of Richard, alongside forms such as Reichert and Reichardt. It is especially associated with German-speaking naming traditions, where inherited surnames often arose from popular given names. Later bearers of the surname carried it into emigrant communities, including North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname handbooks sometimes list Reichard among a whole cluster of regional forms derived from Richard, showing how flexible spelling could be before standardization.
From the historical record
“z. B. altdeutsch Ricohard findet sich als: Richard, Richert, Riechert — Riegert — Reichhardt, Reichard, Reichert — Ricker t, Ritschar d — Ritsert; ungerechnet die bloß orthographischen Abweichungen. Liutbald tritt gar (freilich gemengt mit Liutivald) in mehr als zwanzig Formen auf:”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen