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Buckinghamshire / Re: Rickard Family - Frank Rickard
« on: Sunday 14 April 13 07:48 BST (UK) »
Greetings 
A mammoth job looking at all of the family in Buckinghamshire. I am doing a similar project in Cornwall where I know family members lived. It is unlikely that you will be able to go back far enough with the official records in order to identify ancestors in Cornwall. What I can add is that after 10 years of research I can confidently suggest that the origins of the "Rickard" name can be traced back to the Norwegian Vikings. Briefly, these tribes brought the name or an very early version of it to Ireland in the early 800s. They established Dublin in 850 and thereafter traded and raided the west coast of England and Cornwall. The name is likely to have come to Cornwall around the early 900's. Surnames crept into use in the 1300s so it was probably a first name in the early years. The spelling variations in the early records run to about 15.
Many people ask why "Rickard" and not "Richard". The Danish Vikings brought the name from the same origin south along the west coast of Europe. The languages in use (basically those south of Germany) could not handle the heavy 'ck' accent so it became softened to Reechard and then Richard. We can blame William the C for instilling the Richard version in the rest of the UK.
A mammoth job looking at all of the family in Buckinghamshire. I am doing a similar project in Cornwall where I know family members lived. It is unlikely that you will be able to go back far enough with the official records in order to identify ancestors in Cornwall. What I can add is that after 10 years of research I can confidently suggest that the origins of the "Rickard" name can be traced back to the Norwegian Vikings. Briefly, these tribes brought the name or an very early version of it to Ireland in the early 800s. They established Dublin in 850 and thereafter traded and raided the west coast of England and Cornwall. The name is likely to have come to Cornwall around the early 900's. Surnames crept into use in the 1300s so it was probably a first name in the early years. The spelling variations in the early records run to about 15.
Many people ask why "Rickard" and not "Richard". The Danish Vikings brought the name from the same origin south along the west coast of Europe. The languages in use (basically those south of Germany) could not handle the heavy 'ck' accent so it became softened to Reechard and then Richard. We can blame William the C for instilling the Richard version in the rest of the UK.
Great Job 
. 