Ricciardi
An Italian patronymic surname meaning “descendant of Ricciardo,” from a medieval personal name related to Richard.
The #8,377 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 78,144 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ricciardi is an Italian surname formed from the personal name Ricciardo, the Italian equivalent of Richard. That given name goes back to Germanic elements meaning “power” or “rule” and “hard,” “brave,” or “strong,” so the underlying sense is roughly “strong ruler” or “powerful leader.” The surname is therefore patronymic: it originally identified someone as the son or family of a man named Ricciardo.
History
The surname is found mainly in Italy, especially in the south and in central regions, and it traveled abroad with Italian migration in the 19th and 20th centuries. In English-speaking countries it is usually preserved in its Italian spelling, though pronunciation may vary. Related forms can appear with slight regional spelling differences depending on local dialect and record-keeping.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Ricciardi is part of a large family of Italian surnames built from medieval given names, which is why it often looks more like a first name in origin than a descriptive nickname.