The name Ritchie (Richey, Ritchey, Etc) seems to share a common origin with Richards and Richardson, (according to Micheal Bell in the "Book of the Ulster Surnames" Richard in its various forms, was one of the most popular of all the Norman names that came with William the Conqueror's overthrow of Saxon England in 1066.

In old German, which descended from the Frankish dominions in Gaul (France) , the name Ricard denoted a powerful and brave chief or ruler. A large number of Richardsons began to appear in records of Scotland about a century after the conquest.

The Ritchie families apparently grew from from the same origin as another form of Richards and they were a sept of the clan MACKINTOSH of the area of Dalmunzie, Scotland, where Richards was an equally common name, There were also MacRitchies (by the year 1571) associated with the Macktintosh clan, but this name seems to have lost the Mac with most of the families who came to America. There were considerable numbers of Ritchies in the plantation period that came especially into the Ulster Counties, Antrim & Down, as well as Richardsons.