Reichert
A German surname most often understood as a form of Richard, built from roots meaning “powerful” and “hardy.”
The #3,453 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,845 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Reichert is generally treated as a German surname derived from the given name Richard, with the same Germanic elements found in that name: ric ad/ric ad meaning “power, rule” and hard meaning “hardy, strong, brave.” In other words, the name originally meant something like “strong ruler” or “powerful and hardy one.” Historical spelling variation produced forms such as Reichart, Reichardt, Richert, and Riechart.
History
The excerpts show 19th- and early-20th-century scholars grouping Reichert with numerous German forms of Richard, confirming it as a surname with a long history of spelling variation. It is especially common in German-speaking areas and later appears in North American records through immigration and Anglicized spelling habits. Some sources also note related American spellings that were influenced by pronunciation rather than strict orthography.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One source explicitly lists Reichert among many regional and spelling variants of Richard, showing how flexible surname spelling could be before modern 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