About us
Our group's name reflects our common ancestral heritage--spelled many different ways as in Richardsons, Richisons, or Richersons. The '2' is a sly reminder that just because we Richardson women don't carry y-DNA, we are Richardsons too. We just have to get our fathers, brothers, uncles, or grandfathers to test.
Before 1200, most folks answered to a single given name; many surnames emerged from occupational activities. So, Richardson, literally, is a patronymic, "son of Richard." Probably part of the wave of European immigration after the Norman Conquest of William the Conqueror, which overran Saxon England in 1066. Comes from an Old German name 'Ricard' meaning powerful or brave ruler or chief; Latin filius Ricardi. In Scotland, the Richardson "sept" belongs to the Buchanan (ancient, hunting, and modern) or the Ogilvie (ancient or hunting-for the fall season) clan (or family, dating from the 13th century).
This project uses the standards of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation 2017, the most recent editions of FTDNA’s Terms, the Genetic Genealogy Standards, and ISOGG’s guidance for Project Administrators.