Richard
Richard is a masculine given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic *rīk- 'ruler, leader, king' and *hardu- 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong in rule'. Nicknames include "Richie", "Dick", "Dickon", "Dickie", "Rich", "Rick", "Rico", "Ricky", and more.
- English
- French
- German
- Czech
Meaning & Origin of Richard
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Richard is a masculine given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic *rīk- 'ruler, leader, king' and *hardu- 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong in rule'. Nicknames include "Richie", "Dick", "Dickon", "Dickie", "Rich", "Rick", "Rico", "Ricky", and more.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- French
- German
- Czech
- Slovak
- Dutch
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Estonian
- Germanic
- Hungarian
The Story of Richard
The earliest SSA record of Richard as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 728 babies received it. 1946 was its biggest year on record, with 58,871 newborns named Richard — #5 in the national rankings. About 21% of every Richard on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Richard ranks #237 for baby boys with 1,492 births, falling sharply (-21%). All told, over 2.6M Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Richard
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Richard. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Richard
Phonetically similar names — useful when Richard is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Richard
What does the name Richard mean?
What is the origin of the name Richard?
How popular is Richard in 2026?
When was Richard most popular?
In which U.S. states is Richard most popular?
Is Richard a unisex name?
What names go well with Richard?
What are nicknames or variants of Richard?
About the name Richard
Richard is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2.6M births in the dataset. Richard's peak popularity came in 1946 when it ranked #5. Use the chart and map above to compare Richard's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1946 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.