Richard Boy

Popularity: #225 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: RICH-erd //ˈrɪtʃərd//

Origin: Germanic; Old High German

Meaning: Germanic: powerful leader; Old High German: brave ruler

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Richard has its roots in the Old High German name "Ricohard," which is composed of the elements "ric," meaning "ruler" or "power," and "hard," meaning "brave" or "strong." This name was adopted into Old French as "Richard," which then entered the English language following the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century. The transition from Germanic to French and then to English illustrates the linguistic influences of the time, particularly the impact of Norman culture on the English language and society.

Historically, the name Richard has been borne by several notable figures, including Richard the Lionheart (Richard I of England), who reigned from 1189 to 1199 and is remembered for his role in the Third Crusade. His reputation for bravery and leadership contributed to the name's enduring legacy.

Additionally, Richard III, who ruled from 1483 to 1485, is a significant historical figure, often associated with the tumultuous Wars of the Roses. The name has also appeared in various literary works, including Shakespeare's play "Richard III," which further cemented its cultural significance.

The name Richard has been associated with nobility and leadership throughout history, often symbolizing strength and valor. It has been a common name among English royalty and nobility, contributing to its prominence in historical records.

Variants of the name, such as "Rick" or "Dick," have emerged over time, with "Dick" historically serving as a diminutive form that was widely used in medieval England. The name's rich historical and cultural associations have allowed it to maintain a significant presence in various contexts throughout the centuries.

Famous people named Richard

In this section, you will find notable people named Richard. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Richard who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Richard who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Richard Branson is an entrepreneur best known for founding the Virgin Group, Virgin Atlantic, and Virgin Records.

Richard Gere is an actor best known for Pretty Woman, Chicago, and American Gigolo.

Richard Attenborough is an actor and director best known for Jurassic Park, Gandhi, and A Bridge Too Far.

Richard Dreyfuss is an actor best known for Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Goodbye Girl.

Richard Nixon is a U.S. President best known for ending the Vietnam War, opening relations with China, and the Watergate scandal.

Richard Dean Anderson is an actor best known for MacGyver and Stargate SG-1.

Richard Linklater is a filmmaker best known for Boyhood, Dazed and Confused, and the Before trilogy.

Richard Ayoade is a director and actor best known for Submarine, The IT Crowd, and The Double.

Richard Madden is an actor best known for Game of Thrones, Bodyguard, and Cinderella.

Richard Curtis is a screenwriter and director best known for Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually.

Richard III is a historical figure best known as the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty.

Richard O'Brien is a television presenter and actor best known for The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Crystal Maze.

Richard E. Grant is an actor best known for Withnail and I, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker.

Richard Kind is an actor best known for Spin City, Mad About You, and Inside Out.

Richard Herring is a comedian and writer best known for his stand-up shows and podcasts.

Richard Ashcroft is a musician best known as the lead singer of The Verve and for the song Bitter Sweet Symphony.

Richard Thompson is a musician best known for his work with Fairport Convention and as a solo artist.

Richard Lewis is a comedian and actor best known for Curb Your Enthusiasm and Anything But Love.

Richard Avedon is a photographer best known for his fashion photography and portraits.

Richard Feynman is a physicist best known for his work in quantum mechanics and particle physics.

Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist best known for The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion.

Richard Wright is a musician best known as a founding member of Pink Floyd and for his work on The Dark Side of the Moon.

Richard Briers is an actor best known for The Good Life and Ever Decreasing Circles.

Richard Oates is a notable figure in the field of architecture best known for his innovative designs.

Richard J. Roberts is a biochemist best known for his discovery of split genes and for winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Fictional characters named Richard

The following list of fictional characters named Richard is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Richard III is a fictional character from the play Richard III by William Shakespeare. He is the ambitious and ruthless king who seeks power through manipulation and murder.

Richard Castle is a fictional character from the TV series Castle. He is a bestselling mystery novelist who becomes involved in solving crimes alongside a homicide detective.

Richard Cypher is a fictional character from the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. He is the main protagonist who embarks on a quest to defeat dark forces and uncover his true heritage.

Richard 'Rick' Grimes is a fictional character from the comic book series and TV show The Walking Dead. He is the former sheriff's deputy who becomes a leader in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies.

Richard Parker is a fictional character from the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel. He is a Bengal tiger who shares a lifeboat with the protagonist, symbolizing survival and companionship.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Richard, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

RobertWilliamThomasEdwardJamesCharles

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Richard. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

RoderickReginaldRicardoRalphRonaldRaymondRufusRiley

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Richard was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Richard has ranked as high as #6 nationally, which occurred in 1946, and has been most popular in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Richard has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Richard is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Richard was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Richard.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,505 1,505 0
2024 1,544 1,544 0
2023 1,645 1,645 0
2022 1,694 1,688 6
2021 1,783 1,783 0
2020 1,828 1,828 0
2019 1,990 1,990 0
2018 2,138 2,138 0
2017 2,286 2,286 0
2016 2,525 2,525 0
2015 2,688 2,688 0
2014 2,888 2,888 0
2013 2,800 2,800 0
2012 3,034 3,029 5
2011 3,165 3,165 0
2010 3,243 3,238 5
2009 3,619 3,612 7
2008 4,065 4,060 5
2007 4,433 4,425 8
2006 4,477 4,469 8
2005 4,672 4,667 5
2004 4,871 4,848 23
2003 5,064 5,054 10
2002 5,333 5,322 11
2001 5,782 5,771 11
2000 6,365 6,354 11
1999 6,514 6,502 12
1998 6,968 6,954 14
1997 7,259 7,243 16
1996 8,211 8,182 29
1995 8,806 8,784 22
1994 9,552 9,516 36
1993 10,258 10,230 28
1992 11,364 11,332 32
1991 12,608 12,553 55
1990 13,634 13,580 54
1989 14,202 14,133 69
1988 14,255 14,144 111
1987 14,512 14,401 111
1986 15,136 15,014 122
1985 15,446 15,330 116
1984 15,713 15,607 106
1983 16,015 15,888 127
1982 16,849 16,717 132
1981 16,970 16,855 115
1980 16,777 16,656 121
1979 16,836 16,713 123
1978 16,829 16,734 95
1977 17,573 17,442 131
1976 16,880 16,752 128
1975 17,817 17,687 130
1974 18,726 18,636 90
1973 20,080 19,942 138
1972 22,440 22,302 138
1971 26,298 26,154 144
1970 30,602 30,442 160
1969 31,258 31,085 173
1968 33,139 32,976 163
1967 33,751 33,585 166
1966 34,602 34,457 145
1965 36,951 36,817 134
1964 40,234 40,098 136
1963 40,926 40,772 154
1962 39,562 39,422 140
1961 41,272 41,142 130
1960 43,677 43,553 124
1959 47,332 47,202 130
1958 50,125 50,007 118
1957 52,563 52,446 117
1956 53,043 52,915 128
1955 53,690 53,566 124
1954 57,145 57,042 103
1953 58,523 58,389 134
1952 58,455 58,350 105
1951 54,635 54,541 94
1950 51,099 51,003 96
1949 51,061 50,946 115
1948 51,090 50,970 120
1947 58,676 58,532 144
1946 58,990 58,870 120
1945 46,152 46,046 106
1944 45,740 45,643 97
1943 46,458 46,339 119
1942 43,720 43,593 127
1941 39,232 39,112 120
1940 37,533 37,425 108
1939 35,493 35,386 107
1938 34,506 34,385 121
1937 33,093 32,975 118
1936 33,592 33,494 98
1935 34,074 33,946 128
1934 33,296 33,167 129
1933 31,457 31,331 126
1932 31,947 31,809 138
1931 31,973 31,822 151
1930 32,351 32,187 164
1929 29,772 29,572 200
1928 28,994 28,793 201
1927 26,929 26,768 161
1926 25,262 25,143 119
1925 23,376 23,269 107
1924 21,338 21,244 94
1923 18,965 18,887 78
1922 17,612 17,537 75
1921 16,447 16,376 71
1920 15,064 15,010 54
1919 12,515 12,441 74
1918 12,374 12,323 51
1917 10,961 10,914 47
1916 10,177 10,134 43
1915 9,182 9,143 39
1914 6,699 6,669 30
1913 5,129 5,107 22
1912 4,211 4,188 23
1911 2,041 2,030 11
1910 1,663 1,654 9
1909 1,434 1,427 7
1908 1,250 1,244 6
1907 1,245 1,235 10
1906 1,092 1,084 8
1905 1,033 1,033 0
1904 965 957 8
1903 868 862 6
1902 914 908 6
1901 792 784 8
1900 1,141 1,141 0
1899 749 744 5
1898 884 871 13
1897 709 702 7
1896 839 834 5
1895 734 727 7
1894 808 808 0
1893 732 732 0
1892 809 802 7
1891 609 609 0
1890 743 743 0
1889 716 711 5
1888 780 772 8
1887 629 622 7
1886 728 720 8
1885 672 672 0
1884 749 749 0
1883 649 649 0
1882 746 746 0
1881 641 641 0
1880 728 728 0

Top States for Richard (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 191
12%
TX 157
10%
FL 105
7%
NY 65
4%
VA 56
4%
OH 51
3%
PA 51
3%
NJ 50
3%
GA 48
3%
NC 45
3%
AZ 45
3%
IL 36
2%
MI 36
2%
MA 34
2%
MD 33
2%
WA 31
2%
IN 30
2%
TN 29
2%
KY 28
2%
CO 27
2%
AL 27
2%
SC 25
2%
UT 24
2%
MO 23
2%
WI 23
2%
CT 22
1%
MS 22
1%
LA 22
1%
OK 20
1%
MN 19
1%
AR 17
1%
OR 15
1%
NM 13
1%
NV 11
1%
IA 11
1%
ID 10
1%
AK 9
1%
NE 9
1%
NH 8
1%
KS 8
1%
ME 7
0%
SD 6
0%
DC 6
0%
MT 6
0%
HI 6
0%
WV 5
0%
DE 5
0%
RI 5
0%