Welcome to the Richardson Family page at Surname Finder, a service of Genealogy Today. Our editors have compiled this checklist of genealogical resources, combining links to commercial databases along with user-contributed information and web sites for the Richardson surname. As additional sources for vital records, original documents, vintage photographs and surname-based DNA projects are discovered, this page is updated to offer the best list for researching Richardson ancestry. Share this page on Twitter!
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The Richardson Family Tree
It is quite possible that someone else has already performed work on a Richardson family tree, so be sure to examine some of the sources listed below carefully. Have you struck a Richardson brick wall? Read "Searching For A Needle In An Ancestral Haystack" for some helpful advice.
Best Tree Collections for Discovering Richardson Ancestors
Patronymics is the practice of naming children using the given name of the father, grandfather, or other male ancestor followed by a suffix. In the case of Richardson, it is possible that one of your English ancestors was given the patronym for being the "son of Richard." Please read "Patronymics and Other Naming Patterns" and "Patronymics: Help Not Hindrance," for further details.
Richardson Genealogy
Many things can go wrong when a record collection is indexed. If you're having diffculty finding Richardson ancestors in a particular database at one site, try finding it on another and compare the results. If you want to know Was my Richardson ancestor was married more than once?, then read this frequently asked question.
Top Five Genealogy Databases to Search for Richardson
Historical newspapers give us the ability to discover ancestral history through eyewitness accounts.
There are currently matching Richardson records at Ancestry.com!
Start exploring this online Richardson family history resource today.
Death Records
Military Records
Origins of the Richardson Surname
There are no clear, concise answers to why or how one of your Richardson ancestors took on the surname. It may have been based on their occupation or a distinguising physical trait. Were you aware that Richardson is considered a very common surname, which offers its own set of challenges? The article "Researching Common Names" may be helpful for your research. Keep in mind that it was not unusual for a last name to be altered as an ancestor entered a new country.
Richardson DNA Projects
While DNA testing cannot conclusively tell you if two Richardson ancestors were related, it can easily prove if they weren't. Be sure you understand what types of research issues each different DNA test can address before you spend any money. If you're not sure how DNA testing could aid your Richardson research, read "Basics of DNA Family History Research".
Richardson Family History
There is more to exploring your Richardson ancestry than just gathering a bunch of names and dates. Understanding where your ancestors lived, how they were employed, and what they did for fun, may give you a better appreciation of your heritage. Whether you are a beginner or expert genealogists, knowing How can I decipher the handwriting in old Richardson documents? is always useful.
Photo Collections
Networking with Richardson Researchers
When you've come up against a brick wall in your genealogy research, posting a message board query can help; one of the biggest benefits is that message board queries are accessed through search engines, which means even someone not specifically engaged in genealogy but interested in your subject may find your query and bring valuable new information to the table -- it happens! The article "The Art of Posting Queries" provides some valuable tips for posting successful Richardson queries.
You may also want to consider posting a query to the Community Message Boards at Genealogy Today to get assistance from other researchers on your most elusive Richardson ancestors.
Richardson Achievements & Celebrities
Did you know that Richardson was the 63rd most popular surname in the 1990 census of the United States?
Web Sites & Blogs with Richardson Research
If you are having difficulty locating records for the last name of Richardson, contact the folks at ProGenealogists for a free research estimate. You may also find it helpful to read, "When, Why and How to Hire a Professional Genealogist."
RootsWeb search of US Naturalization Records
RootsWeb search of Obituary Daily Times
RootsWeb search of Social Security Death Index
To recommend your web site/blog for inclusion on this page, please submit a link to the user-contributed directory at Genealogy Today. Your web page may appear once its content has been reviewed by our editors.
Recently Discovered RICHARDSON Clippings and Mentions
Upcoming Richardson Family Reunions
Notifying everyone in advance to bring old photos and documents can bring big rewards, making a special place at the reunion (maybe even a special Richardson booth) where people can come at their leisure to sit, look and chat; in addition to information and clues that might be written on the back of a photo, every photograph has a story and serves as an excellent stimulus to recall -- people might comment not only on the people in the photo, but also on what's in the background, or they might have information around where the photo was taken or the event -- just be sure to have someone there to capture new information. The article "A Great Way to Unite a Newly-Found Family" may provide you with tips for hosting a successful Richardson reunion.
See Also
Surname Finder, The Richardson Genealogy and Family Tree Page [on-line resource], New Providence, NJ, USA: Genealogy Today LLC, 2023.
