richter

Richter is a surname of German origin meaning "judge," derived from the medieval German office of a magistrate. It is common in German-speaking countries and among communities that adopted German surnames, including many Ashkenazi Jewish families. As a toponym or surname, it appears in various cultures and has been borne by a wide range of figures in science, arts, and public life.

The Richter scale, or magnitude scale, is a logarithmic system used to quantify the size of earthquakes. It was developed in 1935 by American seismologists Charles F. Richter and Beno Gutenberg. The scale measures the amplitude of seismic waves recorded on a seismograph, with each whole-number increase representing about 31.6 times more energy release. While still well known in popular discourse, professional seismology now often uses the moment magnitude scale (Mw) for larger events, with the term "Richter scale" retained mainly in historical or informal contexts.

Notable individuals bearing the surname include Charles F. Richter (1900–1985), an American seismologist who co-developed the Richter scale, and Gerhard Richter (born 1932), a German visual artist renowned for both abstract and photorealistic works. The name is shared by many others across disciplines and countries, reflecting its long-standing presence in European and global contexts.