Richards is a Celtic Welsh, or Cornish surname based on the English version of the parent's name ending in -S.[1][2] In 1881 people with this surname were mainly located in Wales, Cornwall and adjacent South-West counties of England.[3] By 1998 many Welsh and Cornish people had migrated to cities in England particularly those adjacent to these areas.[4] The name is derived from the Germanic ric ("power") and hard ("brave"/"hardy").[5][6]