The Ricker surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,850 people carried this name — #4,016 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 33,300 people counted. That is up 1% from 8,767 in 2000.

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In the first U.S. census, 1790

90 families named Ricker, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 526 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Maine 35
New York 27
New Hampshire 20
Pennsylvania 3
Vermont 2
Maryland 2
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 259 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Ricker in American newspapers,
1903–1930.

Newspaper page from The Independent carrying the name Ricker
The Independent 1903-04-02
Newspaper page from San Antonio Light carrying the name Ricker
San Antonio Light 1923-01-05
Newspaper page from The Frontier carrying the name Ricker
The Frontier 1930-11-13

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 702,878 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Ricker in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

337 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ricker. The most, 102, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 3.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 203
New South Wales 51
Queensland 26
South Australia 26
Western Australia 18
Tasmania 4
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ricker.

Who carried it

People named Ricker,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Wesley Ricker
    John Wesley Ricker 1824–1884 · politician
  • George Edwin Ricker
    George Edwin Ricker 1839– · politician
  • Marilla Ricker
    Marilla Ricker 1840–1920 · writer
  • Joseph Ricker 1814–1897
  • Anton Ricker 1816–1892 · bookseller
  • Joseph Sherman Ricker 1821–1901

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Ricker,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,070 records

1,070 records of the Ricker name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 351
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 280
  • Other U.S. records 439
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Kenneth G. Ricker

    Born 1923 in Ohio. Enlisted 1943 at Cincinnati; aircraft worker from Darke County. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Castine Cemetery, Greenville, Ohio.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margaretha Ricker

    Arrived at New York in 1854 aboard the President Smidt from Bremen, aged 30; servant. From Annefen, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record William Ernest Ricker

    Born 1933; from Portland, Oregon. U.S. Navy, medical corps; declared dead 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,070 records for Ricker in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Canada102 records

102 records of the Ricker name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 85
  • City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) cemetery records 6
  • Other Canadian records 11
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Alice Sophie Ricker

    Died 1988, aged 64; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Israel Colman Ricker

    Died 1958 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Ralph Edwin Ricker

    Died in service in 1946.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 102 records for Ricker in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Germany93 records

93 records of the Ricker name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Franz Ricker

    Born 1886; from Werschau, Limburg a. Lahn. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 3 December 1918 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 222).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Thomas Ricker

    From Jügesheim, Offenbach. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 2 December 1916 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 116).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hermann Ricker

    From Üffeln, Bersenbrück. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 19 August 1916 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 230).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 93 records for Ricker in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Netherlands30 records

30 records of the Ricker name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 19
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 10
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Eduard Johann Diedrich Ricker

    Married in 1915 in Heerlen; miner, born 1892 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Marijtje Ricker

    Married in 1813 in Spaarndam; "dienstmeisje".

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Johannis Ricker

    Buried in 1780 in Bergen op Zoom.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 30 records for Ricker in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Australia17 records

17 records of the Ricker name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 13
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 2
  • Other Australian records 2
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Ernest Maurice Ricker

    Company director of South Yarra, Victoria; died 1961.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Anna Ricker

    Arrived in Tasmania in 1870 aboard the Figaro from Hamburg.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Jacob Ricker

    Naturalised in Queensland in 1865.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 17 records for Ricker in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France7 records

7 records of the Ricker name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Rose Ricker

    Born 1896 in Strasbourg; died 1984 in Hœrdt (Bas-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Achille Ricker

    Born 1903 in Paris; died 1988 in Créteil (Val-de-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Christine Julienne Ricker

    Born 1922 in Paris; died 1997 in Chalifert (Seine-et-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Ricker in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Norway1 record

1 record of the Ricker name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Louis Ricker

    Census of 1910: Drammensvn, Kristiania; born 1864 in Kristiania.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Ricker.

When the index is not enough

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