Richard
Richard is a girl's name of Germanic origin.
Meaning
Brave ruler, powerful king.
Origin and history
Richard is traditionally a masculine Germanic name derived from roots meaning 'brave ruler'. Although primarily used for males, official U.S. birth records show it has occasionally been given to females over the decades. Its usage for females in the United States remains exceedingly rare today.
Popularity in the United States
9,530 babies in the United States have been named Richard since 1880. It ranks #1703 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #2095.
States where it is most popular
- CA (17.8 %)
- NY (17 %)
- PA (10.1 %)
- TX (9.3 %)
- OH (9.1 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 28 |
| 1890-1900 | 44 |
| 1900-1910 | 59 |
| 1910-1920 | 349 |
| 1920-1930 | 1,160 |
| 1930-1940 | 1,280 |
| 1940-1950 | 1,176 |
| 1950-1960 | 1,149 |
| 1960-1970 | 1,465 |
| 1970-1980 | 1,277 |
| 1980-1990 | 1,130 |
| 1990-2000 | 298 |
| 2000-2010 | 99 |
| 2010-2019 | 10 |
| 2020-2029 | 6 |
Nicknames
Rick, Ricky, Richie, Rich
Fun facts
- The name is composed of the Germanic elements 'ric' (king, ruler) and 'hard' (brave, hardy).
- While extremely common for U.S. males, fewer than 10,000 females have been given the name Richard in published SSA records since 1880.