Richie
A Scottish and northern English surname meaning “son of Richard,” using a familiar diminutive form of the given name.
The #5,138 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,324 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Richie is a pet form built from the personal name Richard, with the diminutive ending -ie/-y. In older English and Scottish usage, it could function as a surname meaning essentially “Richard’s son” or “descendant of Richard.” The ultimate roots of Richard are Germanic, commonly explained as “powerful” or “hard/strong” plus “ruler” or “power.”
History
The name is especially associated with northern England and the Borders, and it is well attested in Scotland in the 16th century. Historical sources note that Richie was once more common in England than it is today, while the United States retained living examples of the surname. It is closely related to forms such as Richey and Ritchie.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century surname dictionary specifically noted that Richie was still alive in the United States even as it had largely disappeared from England.
From the historical record
“RICHEY \= Rich (q.v.) + the E. dim. suff. RICHIE ]-ey,-ie. RICHIN = Rich (q.v.) + the Fr. dim. sufl.-i» [Lat. -in-us\ Exceptionally, Richin has another origin, for Foulques, Count of Anjou, was sur- named Richin or Rechin [O.Fr. rechin, rude, rough ; f. reche, M.H.Ger. resche, roesche, O.H.Ger. r6sc{i, sharp…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)