The Ritchie surname is derived from the baptismal name of Richard and is very common to Scotland.

The Ritchies were a sept of the MacKintosh clan. Septs of clans were families who were aligned to a clan or who sought protection from that clan. They were granted the wearing of the clan tartan.

The MacKintosh Clan

Derived from the Gaelic "mac an tiosich" or "son of the leader or chief" (similar to the Irish "taoseach" or prime minister). The clan claim descent from the royal house of Duff, through Shaw, the second son of Duncan Macduff, Earl of Fife, of the royal house of Dalriada. Shaw was part of a force led by King Malcolm IV which repressed a rebellion in Moray in 1160. Granted lands in the valley of the river Findhorn, the lands of Petty became the centre of clan territory. The 5th chief led his clan at the Battle of Largs in 1263, during the reign of King Alexander III. His son was raised by his uncle, the Lord of the Isles and he married the daughter of the chief of Clan Chattan in Lochaber, extending the clan lands to Glenloy and Loch Arkaig. After that, the Clan Chattan, which developed into a loose confederation of independent clans, was usually led by a Mackintosh (though challenged on occasions by the MacPhersons).

The MacKintosh clan had to fight to defend their powerful position and conducted long-running feuds with the Earls of Moray and Huntly, among others.

One famous feud with the Comyns was to have ended in a feast of reconciliation but the Comyns made plans to destroy the MacKintosh clan once and for all. They were betrayed by a family member, however, and were slaughtered by MacKintosh clansmen, led by their chief Malcolm MacKintosh.

The MacKintosh clansmen took part in the Jacobite rising of 1715, following which many were transported to the Americas . The clan remained loyal to the Stewarts in 1745 and the wife of the absent chief, Lady Anne MacKintosh, raised a force of 400 men to join Charles Edward Stewart.

She also received the prince at the chief's seat of Moy Hall. During his visit, a force of 1500 government troops attempted to capture him, but were fooled by Lady Anne into believing they had walked into the midst of the entire Jacobite army. They consequently fled, and this incident became known as the "Rout of Moy", with Lady Anne MacKintosh earning the nickname of "Colonel Anne".

The Mackintosh clan motto is "Touch not the cat bot a glove" which is almost identical to that of the Macphersons and Chattan.

Surnames regarded as septs (sub-branch) of the Mackintosh clan include Ayson, Crerar, Dallas, Doles, Elder, Esson, Glennie, Hardie, Hardy, Higginson, Hossack, MacAndrew, MacCartney, MacConchy, MacGlashan, MacHardie, MacHardy, MacKeggie, Mackieson, MacKilligan, MacLerie, MacNiven, MacRitchie, Niven, Noble, Paul, Ritchie, Smith, Thain, Tosh.