- Richard Name Origin: German
- Pronunciation: rich-erd
- See what 9 people think about Richard
Richard Name Meaning
The name “Richard” comes from the Germanic “Riccard,” which means “brave ruler”.
Origins of the Name Richard
The name “Richard” comes from the Germanic “Riccard,” which means “powerful leader.” It’s no coincidence that throughout history, many notable men have borne this name and lived up to its meaning.
The name Richard has a lot of variations in different languages and cultures, such as “Ricardo” in Spanish, “Riccardo” in Italian, “Rikard” in Swedish, “Rikhard” in Finnish and “Ričard” in Czech.
Popularity of the Name Richard
So why has the name “Richard” stood the test of time? One reason could be its strong meaning as “powerful leader” which implies strength, power, and leadership. Additionally, the name has been borne by many notable figures throughout history, which has helped to keep it in the public consciousness.
Despite its long history and notable bearers, the name Richard is not as popular as it used to be. The name reached its peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s, but has since been on a decline. It’s still a classic, timeless name, but it’s not as common as it used to be.
Famous Richards
Throughout history, many men have borne the name “Richard” and made their mark on the world. Here are just a few examples:
- Richard the Lionheart was King of England from 1189 to 1199. He was known for his military prowess and was a leader of the Third Crusade.
- Richard Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. He was the first president to resign from office.
- Richard Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time.
Final Thoughts on the Name Richard
All in all, “Richard” is a name with a rich history and plenty of interesting stories behind it. From Richard the Lionheart to Richard Nixon, there are plenty of notable figures who have borne the name. While it may not be as popular as it once was, it’s still a classic, timeless name that will never go out of style. It’s a name that implies strength, power, and leadership, perfect for a boy who wants to be a leader one day.
Richard Name Popularity
How popular is the name Richard? Here’s everything we know.
| Year | Rank | # Births | % Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 21 | 1,643 | 0.4666% |
| 1911 | 20 | 2,024 | 0.5435% |
| 1912 | 19 | 4,183 | 0.8295% |
| 1913 | 19 | 5,103 | 0.9% |
| 1914 | 17 | 6,668 | 0.9568% |
| 1915 | 15 | 9,143 | 1.0063% |
| 1916 | 15 | 10,131 | 1.0488% |
| 1917 | 14 | 10,911 | 1.0906% |
| 1918 | 12 | 12,317 | 1.1477% |
| 1919 | 12 | 12,436 | 1.1876% |
| 1920 | 10 | 15,010 | 1.35% |
| 1921 | 10 | 16,376 | 1.4301% |
| 1922 | 9 | 17,539 | 1.5743% |
| 1923 | 9 | 18,884 | 1.686% |
| 1924 | 8 | 21,240 | 1.829% |
| 1925 | 8 | 23,270 | 2.0588% |
| 1926 | 7 | 25,145 | 2.2862% |
| 1927 | 6 | 26,767 | 2.4181% |
| 1928 | 6 | 28,796 | 2.6913% |
| 1929 | 6 | 29,572 | 2.855% |
| 1930 | 5 | 32,178 | 3.0805% |
| 1931 | 5 | 31,816 | 3.2236% |
| 1932 | 5 | 31,799 | 3.2186% |
| 1933 | 5 | 31,336 | 3.3635% |
| 1934 | 5 | 33,156 | 3.4298% |
| 1935 | 5 | 33,938 | 3.4924% |
| 1936 | 5 | 33,484 | 3.476% |
| 1937 | 5 | 32,976 | 3.3465% |
| 1938 | 5 | 34,382 | 3.3585% |
| 1939 | 5 | 35,372 | 3.4774% |
| 1940 | 5 | 37,416 | 3.5202% |
| 1941 | 5 | 39,104 | 3.4744% |
| 1942 | 5 | 43,583 | 3.4514% |
| 1943 | 5 | 46,327 | 3.5486% |
| 1944 | 5 | 45,637 | 3.6823% |
| 1945 | 5 | 46,042 | 3.7753% |
| 1946 | 5 | 58,865 | 3.9893% |
| 1947 | 5 | 58,516 | 3.5055% |
| 1948 | 7 | 50,970 | 3.1929% |
| 1949 | 7 | 50,936 | 3.1664% |
| 1950 | 7 | 51,001 | 3.1675% |
| 1951 | 7 | 54,551 | 3.2174% |
| 1952 | 7 | 58,373 | 3.3441% |
| 1953 | 7 | 58,340 | 3.2964% |
| 1954 | 7 | 57,026 | 3.1196% |
| 1955 | 7 | 53,545 | 2.911% |
| 1956 | 7 | 52,891 | 2.8004% |
| 1957 | 8 | 52,397 | 2.7229% |
| 1958 | 8 | 49,941 | 2.6425% |
| 1959 | 8 | 47,173 | 2.4829% |
| 1960 | 8 | 43,561 | 2.2991% |
| 1961 | 8 | 41,112 | 2.1776% |
| 1962 | 8 | 39,409 | 2.1466% |
| 1963 | 8 | 40,787 | 2.2722% |
| 1964 | 8 | 40,098 | 2.278% |
| 1965 | 8 | 36,852 | 2.2535% |
| 1966 | 8 | 34,467 | 2.2076% |
| 1967 | 8 | 33,589 | 2.2134% |
| 1968 | 8 | 32,988 | 2.1969% |
| 1969 | 10 | 31,111 | 2.0194% |
| 1970 | 10 | 30,452 | 1.9135% |
| 1971 | 11 | 26,164 | 1.7412% |
| 1972 | 14 | 22,318 | 1.6386% |
| 1973 | 16 | 19,952 | 1.539% |
| 1974 | 17 | 18,647 | 1.4347% |
| 1975 | 16 | 17,684 | 1.3762% |
| 1976 | 19 | 16,764 | 1.3007% |
| 1977 | 20 | 17,447 | 1.2943% |
| 1978 | 22 | 16,732 | 1.2445% |
| 1979 | 25 | 16,720 | 1.1858% |
| 1980 | 26 | 16,663 | 1.1396% |
| 1981 | 27 | 16,857 | 1.1468% |
| 1982 | 27 | 16,714 | 1.1185% |
| 1983 | 27 | 15,899 | 1.0774% |
| 1984 | 27 | 15,593 | 1.0482% |
| 1985 | 28 | 15,331 | 1.0101% |
| 1986 | 29 | 15,007 | 0.9942% |
| 1987 | 30 | 14,401 | 0.9437% |
| 1988 | 32 | 14,141 | 0.9074% |
| 1989 | 33 | 14,135 | 0.8759% |
| 1990 | 35 | 13,575 | 0.819% |
| 1991 | 34 | 12,552 | 0.7701% |
| 1992 | 41 | 11,326 | 0.7096% |
| 1993 | 40 | 10,227 | 0.656% |
| 1994 | 41 | 9,513 | 0.6199% |
| 1995 | 42 | 8,784 | 0.5828% |
| 1996 | 45 | 8,179 | 0.5462% |
| 1997 | 51 | 7,242 | 0.4897% |
| 1998 | 55 | 6,954 | 0.4646% |
| 1999 | 61 | 6,502 | 0.4342% |
| 2000 | 65 | 6,352 | 0.4158% |
| 2001 | 73 | 5,766 | 0.3827% |
| 2002 | 77 | 5,314 | 0.3546% |
| 2003 | 86 | 5,050 | 0.3319% |
| 2004 | 92 | 4,843 | 0.3178% |
| 2005 | 93 | 4,666 | 0.3052% |
| 2006 | 99 | 4,464 | 0.2851% |
| 2007 | 101 | 4,413 | 0.2797% |
| 2008 | 108 | 4,049 | 0.262% |
| 2009 | 114 | 3,603 | 0.2411% |
| 2010 | 126 | 3,228 | 0.224% |
| 2011 | 127 | 3,153 | 0.2213% |
| 2012 | 124 | 3,013 | 0.2114% |
| 2013 | 140 | 2,789 | 0.1959% |
| 2014 | 140 | 2,873 | 0.1972% |
| 2015 | 156 | 2,648 | 0.182% |
| 2016 | 160 | 2,501 | 0.1735% |
| 2017 | 174 | 2,262 | 0.1621% |
| 2018 | 185 | 2,108 | 0.1534% |
| 2019 | 197 | 1,949 | 0.144% |
| 2020 | 207 | 1,772 | 0.1392% |
| 2021 | 214 | 1,760 | 0.144% |
| 2022 | 219 | 1,666 | 0.1263% |
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Data via SSA.gov.
Names Like Richard
If you like Richard, you’ll love these other names like Richard.
What names are diminutives of Richard?
A diminutive is a name that’s like Richard sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Richard, but shorter.
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Popularity | Other Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dick |
Ten |
German |
|
|
| Dickie |
Powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Rich |
Old; peaceful ruler; powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Rick |
A diminutive form of Richard. |
German |
|
|
| Rickie |
Forever or alone, ruler; powerful leader |
Scandinavian |
|
|
| Ricky |
Powerful leader; peaceful ruler |
German |
|
|
| Ritch |
Old |
English |
What names are variants of Richard?
Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Richard.
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Popularity | Other Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dick |
Ten |
German |
|
|
| Dickie |
Powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Dicky |
Powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Raechard |
Powerful leader |
German |
||
| Ric |
Forever or alone, ruler; peaceful ruler; powerful leader |
Scandinavian |
|
|
| Ricard |
Powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Ricardo |
Brave ruler |
Spanish |
|
| Riccardo |
Powerful leader |
German |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rich |
Old; peaceful ruler; powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Richardo |
Powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Richart |
Powerful leader |
German |
||
| Richerd |
Powerful leader |
German |
||
| Richie |
Old; powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Rick |
A diminutive form of Richard. |
German |
|
|
| Rickard |
Powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Rickert |
Powerful leader |
German |
||
| Rickey |
Kindly and loved; powerful leader; powerful leader; peaceful ruler |
German |
|
|
| Ricki |
Powerful leader; powerful leader; peaceful ruler |
German |
|
|
| Rickie |
Forever or alone, ruler; powerful leader |
Scandinavian |
|
|
| Ricky |
Powerful leader; peaceful ruler |
German |
|
|
| Rico |
Home ruler |
Italian |
|
|
| Rikard |
Powerful leader |
German |
| Riki |
Powerful leader |
German |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rikki |
Peaceful ruler; powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Riocard |
Powerful leader |
German |
||
| Ritchard |
Powerful leader |
German |
||
| Ritcherd |
Powerful leader |
German |
||
| Ritchie |
Old; powerful leader |
German |
|
|
| Ritchy |
Old; powerful leader |
German |
||
| Ritchyrd |
Powerful leader |
German |
||
| Ritshard |
Powerful leader |
German |
||
| Ritsherd |
Powerful leader |
German |
||
| Ryszard |
Powerful leader |
German |
What names sound like Richard?
If you like how Richard sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Richard.
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Popularity | Other Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rickward |
Mighty guardian |
English |
||
| Rickwerd |
Mighty guardian |
English |
What names are similar to Richard?
Find a name that’s like Richard, but just a little bit different.
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Popularity | Other Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aric |
Forever or alone, ruler |
Scandinavian |
|
|
| Baldric |
Brave ruler |
German |
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Siblings of Richard
Mamas with kids named Richard also have kids with these names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin | Popularity | Other Gender |
|---|
| Queen |
Queen |
English |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isis |
Throne |
Egyptian |
|
|
| Simon |
He has heard |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Charlotte |
Free man |
French |
|
|
| Addison |
Son of Adam |
English |
|
|
| Paityn |
Form of Peyton |
English |
|
|
| Sara |
Princess |
Hebrew |
|
|
| Jackson |
Son of Jack |
English |
|
9 Comments
Marianne
I named my son Richard because it was the name of the loveliest boy in school. I thought, one day when I have a boy his name will be Richard and he will be as lovely too. His middle name is Edward named after his grandfather. Didn’t realised at the time..if you shorten both names..?
Nancy
I really liked the name, My husband liked the name too (Which is rare.) So we went with it, I was planning on nicknaming him “Rick” My husband started calling him and introducing him as “Dicky.” He’s now 14 and goes by just Dick. Which can get some strange looks in public when I say “Stop it, Dick.” or “Come here, Dick.” once I had a lady come up to me and tell me not to call my son “such hateful words” My husband tried to name our second son William but I didn’t trust him enough not to call him, “Willy” Everone at school calls him Richie so he escaped the bulling. Ended up naming his little brother George, and the next one Arthur.
JESSICA
My grandpa’s name is Richard, and I like family names.
I also think Richard sounds really classy.
It also has a lot of nicknames! We call our little one Richie.
Krystal
Named after his father, He’s the fourth Richard but not an actual fourth because they all have different middle names.
Chelsee
He’s named after my husband and his father; Richard Alan III.
Trenessia
Named after his father
Reyna
I Named My Son After His Great Granpa, Great Uncle & Uncle. I Loved This Name And Actually Wanted To Name My First Son Richard But Ended Up Going A Different Route. So This Time Around I Finally Get My Baby Richy.
Kimberly
He’s full of energy, and a great big smile. This kid is sure to wow everyone he’s in contact with. He loves to tinker, and build stuff, he also loves bugs!
Maryluna
I chose Richard because my dad name is Richard.
What I dont like is that people call him dick..
He is a happy baby