Boy nameCurrently #232 in the USFalling
Richard
RICH-erd//ˈrɪtʃərd//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19467 lettersStarts with R
Meaning & origin
Brave ruler
Richard comes from the Germanic elements 'ric' (ruler) and 'hard' (brave, strong), meaning 'brave ruler'. Borne by three English kings, including Richard the Lionheart, it has a sturdy, historic weight.
Richard's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Richard |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 728 |
| 1881 | 641 |
| 1882 | 746 |
| 1883 | 649 |
| 1884 | 749 |
| 1885 | 672 |
| 1886 | 728 |
| 1887 | 629 |
| 1888 | 780 |
| 1889 | 716 |
| 1890 | 743 |
| 1891 | 609 |
| 1892 | 809 |
| 1893 | 732 |
| 1894 | 808 |
| 1895 | 734 |
| 1896 | 839 |
| 1897 | 709 |
| 1898 | 884 |
| 1899 | 749 |
| 1900 | 1,141 |
| 1901 | 792 |
| 1902 | 914 |
| 1903 | 868 |
| 1904 | 965 |
| 1905 | 1,033 |
| 1906 | 1,092 |
| 1907 | 1,245 |
| 1908 | 1,250 |
| 1909 | 1,434 |
| 1910 | 1,663 |
| 1911 | 2,041 |
| 1912 | 4,211 |
| 1913 | 5,129 |
| 1914 | 6,699 |
| 1915 | 9,182 |
| 1916 | 10,177 |
| 1917 | 10,961 |
| 1918 | 12,374 |
| 1919 | 12,515 |
| 1920 | 15,064 |
| 1921 | 16,447 |
| 1922 | 17,612 |
| 1923 | 18,965 |
| 1924 | 21,338 |
| 1925 | 23,376 |
| 1926 | 25,262 |
| 1927 | 26,929 |
| 1928 | 28,995 |
| 1929 | 29,770 |
| 1930 | 32,350 |
| 1931 | 31,974 |
| 1932 | 31,947 |
| 1933 | 31,457 |
| 1934 | 33,296 |
| 1935 | 34,075 |
| 1936 | 33,590 |
| 1937 | 33,093 |
| 1938 | 34,507 |
| 1939 | 35,492 |
| 1940 | 37,533 |
| 1941 | 39,231 |
| 1942 | 43,719 |
| 1943 | 46,457 |
| 1944 | 45,740 |
| 1945 | 46,151 |
| 1946 | 58,991 |
| 1947 | 58,675 |
| 1948 | 51,089 |
| 1949 | 51,062 |
| 1950 | 51,100 |
| 1951 | 54,633 |
| 1952 | 58,458 |
| 1953 | 58,523 |
| 1954 | 57,146 |
| 1955 | 53,688 |
| 1956 | 53,040 |
| 1957 | 52,563 |
| 1958 | 50,117 |
| 1959 | 47,334 |
| 1960 | 43,662 |
| 1961 | 41,270 |
| 1962 | 39,558 |
| 1963 | 40,921 |
| 1964 | 40,236 |
| 1965 | 36,960 |
| 1966 | 34,603 |
| 1967 | 33,749 |
| 1968 | 33,140 |
| 1969 | 31,260 |
| 1970 | 30,600 |
| 1971 | 26,301 |
| 1972 | 22,441 |
| 1973 | 20,081 |
| 1974 | 18,726 |
| 1975 | 17,818 |
| 1976 | 16,881 |
| 1977 | 17,573 |
| 1978 | 16,828 |
| 1979 | 16,836 |
| 1980 | 16,778 |
| 1981 | 16,970 |
| 1982 | 16,852 |
| 1983 | 16,018 |
| 1984 | 15,713 |
| 1985 | 15,444 |
| 1986 | 15,134 |
| 1987 | 14,513 |
| 1988 | 14,256 |
| 1989 | 14,202 |
| 1990 | 13,634 |
| 1991 | 12,610 |
| 1992 | 11,363 |
| 1993 | 10,259 |
| 1994 | 9,552 |
| 1995 | 8,806 |
| 1996 | 8,209 |
| 1997 | 7,258 |
| 1998 | 6,968 |
| 1999 | 6,513 |
| 2000 | 6,365 |
| 2001 | 5,782 |
| 2002 | 5,333 |
| 2003 | 5,064 |
| 2004 | 4,871 |
| 2005 | 4,672 |
| 2006 | 4,477 |
| 2007 | 4,433 |
| 2008 | 4,065 |
| 2009 | 3,619 |
| 2010 | 3,243 |
| 2011 | 3,165 |
| 2012 | 3,033 |
| 2013 | 2,799 |
| 2014 | 2,887 |
| 2015 | 2,687 |
| 2016 | 2,523 |
| 2017 | 2,284 |
| 2018 | 2,137 |
| 2019 | 1,989 |
| 2020 | 1,826 |
| 2021 | 1,782 |
| 2022 | 1,690 |
| 2023 | 1,645 |
| 2024 | 1,539 |
Richard through the decades
- Richard peaked in 1946, when 58,991 babies were named Richard in the US.
- The 1950s were Richard's strongest decade, averaging 53,660 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Richard has fallen 45% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Richard currently ranks #232 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
RichRickDick
Variants & spellings
Ricardo
Famous people named Richard
- Richard the Lionheart — English king