Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Richer m. Old High German rih 'ruler' + Germanic harja 'army, folk'.

The name of a 7th C Frankish saint.

Riquier is a Norman and Picard form.

The German vernacular form Richer is witnessed between 1074 and 1087 in the place name Richersperga (UrkStyr 77).

Austria
Latin
813 richarius (nom) UBEnns-1 II; c1070 Richer (nom) UrkStyria 69
England
Latin
1181 Richerus (nom) StPaulDom p. 117; 1185x1186 Richerus (nom) PR-XXXVI p. 13; 1189 Richerius (nom) GASurv p. 129; 1222 Richeri (gen) StPaulDom p. 79
Walloon
1582/3 Ricquier RWC p. 5; 1590/1 Riquier ibid. p. 15; 1591 Riquier ibid. p. 18; 1591/2 Riquier ibid. p. 19; 1592/3 Riquier ibid. p. 25; 1593/4 Riquier ibid. p. 30; 1594 Riquier ibid. p. 33; 1595 Riquier ibid. p. 40; 1596/7 Riquier ibid. p. 45; 1598/9 Riquier ibid. p. 51
France
Latin
c823 Richarius (nom) irminon-vol2 28, Palatiolum, Richerius (nom) ibid. 94, Ved; 11thC Richer (nom) StVdM-II 710; 1126 Richerius (nom) CartStPC IV; 1142x1152 Richerio (abl) ChartCaen2 1; 1147 Richerio (abl) clairvaux-12thc 19, Richerius (nom) ibid. 15; 1179 Richeri (gen) ibid. 181, Richerus (nom) ibid. 181; 1222 Richero (dat) NDParisII 2-XCI; 1274 Ricerius (nom) RHF-VIII p. 59
Old French
1301 Rikier (obl) MemPic-vol17 p. 241; 1313 Richier Paris1313 p. 20
Middle French
1388 Riquier thierry
Germany
Latin
822x875 Recheri (abl) TradCorb §139, Reckere (abl) ibid. §29; c1070 Rihheri (gen) UrkStyria 72; 1130 Richeri (gen) quix-vol1 63; 1135 Richerus (nom) ibid. 64; 1142 Richerus (nom) mairhofer XIII; 1151 Richerus (nom) ibid. XXXVI; 1157 Richero (nom) quix-vol1 44; 1168 Richero (abl) ibid. 65; 1173 Richero (abl) ibid. 99, Richerus (nom) ibid. 81
Italy
Latin
828 Rihheri (nom) FRA-XXXL 13
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Richer". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2023, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2023/1/name/Richer.