Where does the name Richard come from?

Richard is a boy name of Germanic origin.

Is Richard a boy or a girl name?

Richard is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 0% of children given the name Richard are girls and 100% are boys.

How popular is the name Richard in 2023?

Richard ranks #222 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1946 with 58,990 babies.

How do you pronounce Richard?

Richard is pronounced RICH-ard (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Richard?

Richard is also written as Ricardo, Riccardo, Rikard.

A name from Germanic · Boy

Richard

From Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i.e. "strong ruler." Brought to England by the Normans; carried by three English kings, including Richard the Lionheart.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

2,574,503 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

1,645 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

RFrom Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i.e. "strong ruler." Brought to England by the Normans; carried by three English kings, including Richard the Lionheart.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Richard".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Ricardo Most common Riccardo Rikard

Quick answers

People often ask about Richard.

What does the name Richard mean?: Richard means from Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i.e. "strong ruler." Brought to England by the Normans; carried by three English kings, including Richard the Lionheart.
Where does the name Richard come from?: Richard is a boy name of Germanic origin.
Is Richard a boy or a girl name?: Richard is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 0% of children given the name Richard are girls and 100% are boys.
How popular is the name Richard in 2023?: Richard ranks #222 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1946 with 58,990 babies.
How do you pronounce Richard?: Richard is pronounced RICH-ard (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Richard?: Richard is also written as Ricardo, Riccardo, Rikard.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.