Richard
Complete Name Analysis & Etymology Guide
2,585,535 Total Births
145 Years of Data
1946 Peak Popularity Year
58,991 Peak Births

Richard Name: Complete Etymology, Meaning & Popularity Analysis

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Summary

The name Richard has its roots in Old Germanic, meaning 'brave ruler.' It evolved through various forms, including Richart in Old High German and Richard in Old French. The name is associated with traits of strength and leadership, particularly due to historical figures like Richard the Lionheart. It does not have a biblical background and gained significant popularity in the medieval era. Today, Richard is viewed as a classic name with various common variants and derivatives.

Etymology & Cultural Background of "Richard"

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Pronunciation

/ˈrɪtʃərd/

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Origin

Old Germanic

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Etymology

The name Richard is derived from the Old High German name 'Richart,' which combines the elements 'ric' meaning 'ruler' or 'power' and 'hard' meaning 'brave' or 'strong.'

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Meaning

brave ruler

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Language Evolution

Old High German: Richart, Old French: Richard, Middle English: Richard

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Historical Usage

Richard gained popularity in medieval Europe, particularly after the reign of Richard the Lionheart in the 12th century, which made the name synonymous with bravery and leadership.

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Variants & Derivatives

Rick, Ricky, Rich, Richie, Ricardo

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Modern Popularity & Image

Richard remains a classic name that is often associated with strength and leadership. It is well-regarded in many cultures but has seen fluctuations in popularity over the years.

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Famous People

Richard the Lionheart, Richard Nixon, Richard Branson, Richard Gere, Richard Dawkins

📊 Richard Name Trend Analysis

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Girl Name Trend

Recent 3-Year Analysis

3-Year Trend: Stable
25-Year Trend: Relatively Stable
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Boy Name Trend

Recent 3-Year Analysis

3-Year Trend: Declining
25-Year Trend: Gradually Declining

Explore More Richard Name Visualizations

✨ Richard Name Meaning & Significance

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Popularity Trend

Highly Popular name with 58,991 peak births in 1946

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Geographic Spread

Popular across 51 US states, with strongest presence in Maine

Historical Span

Data spanning 145 years from 1880 to 2024, showing long-term trends

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Generational Impact

Influenced 14 different American generations with varying popularity

Historical Birth Statistics for the Name "Richard"

Note: Years with identical rankings may represent different numbers of births. Data is sourced from Social Security card applications for births in the United States.

Yearly Ranking History of "Richard"

"Richard" Popularity Across American Generations

Generation Gender Rank Total Names
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) Boy 10th of 7545 248,371
Silent Generation (1928-1945) Boy 5th of 6773 647,019
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Boy 7th of 7552 959,734
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) Boy 12th of 10718 388,396
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) Boy 33rd of 16616 212,270
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) Boy 87th of 24088 78,710
Generation Alpha (2013-2024) Boy 179th of 23106 25,782
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) Girl 892nd of 9107 1,167
Silent Generation (1928-1945) Girl 605th of 9204 2,358
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Girl 904th of 12526 2,332
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) Girl 940th of 19264 2,179
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) Girl 1703rd of 27321 1,265
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) Girl 10288th of 35406 151
Generation Alpha (2013-2024) Girl 28476th of 30306 6

Regional Popularity of "Richard" by Generation for Male Names

TOP(%) MidWest Northeast South West
G.I. Generation
(1901-1927)
0.56%
8th/1416
0.80%
11th/1379
0.72%
17th/2366
0.61%
7th/1142
Silent Generation
(1928-1945)
0.26%
4th/1546
0.26%
4th/1556
0.47%
11th/2353
0.19%
3rd/1547
Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
0.27%
6th/2227
0.29%
7th/2430
0.28%
8th/2853
0.22%
6th/2775
Generation X (Gen X)
(1965-1980)
0.72%
21st/2937
0.34%
12th/3483
0.31%
11th/3518
0.25%
10th/4044
Millennials (Gen Y)
(1981-1996)
1.22%
45th/3685
0.63%
28th/4475
0.62%
32nd/5194
0.47%
30th/6317
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers)
(1997-2012)
2.53%
116th/4582
1.34%
69th/5164
1.12%
82nd/7313
1.15%
86th/7463
Generation Alpha
(2013-2024)
5.40%
215th/3984
3.37%
151st/4487
2.70%
184th/6822
2.77%
174th/6276

Regional Popularity of "Richard" by Generation for Female Names

TOP(%) MidWest Northeast South West
G.I. Generation
(1901-1927)
46.47%
658th/1416
43.87%
605th/1379
58.37%
1381st/2366
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Silent Generation
(1928-1945)
32.08%
496th/1546
27.89%
434th/1556
48.11%
1132nd/2353
44.28%
685th/1547
Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
40.73%
907th/2227
29.05%
706th/2430
39.71%
1133rd/2853
33.15%
920th/2775
Generation X (Gen X)
(1965-1980)
34.29%
1007th/2937
23.77%
828th/3483
34.74%
1222nd/3518
23.47%
949th/4044
Millennials (Gen Y)
(1981-1996)
51.89%
1912th/3685
34.50%
1544th/4475
35.23%
1830th/5194
24.79%
1566th/6317
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers)
(1997-2012)
- - 81.95%
5993rd/7313
76.74%
5727th/7463
Generation Alpha
(2013-2024)
- - - -

State-by-State Popularity of "Richard"

This map shows the relative popularity of "Richard" across states, calculated by dividing the number of births with this name in each state by the total births in that state. This methodology provides a standardized measure of popularity regardless of state population size.

Comprehensive Regional & Generational Popularity Trends of "Richard" in the United States

The name Richard is most popular in Maine, USA across all generations. It ranks highest as a Boy name among the Silent Generation generation in the Northeast region. Recent 3-year trends show this Girl name is maintaining steady popularity, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been relatively stable. Recent 3-year trends show this Boy name is declining in usage, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been gradually declining. From 2020-2022, Richard has been falling for male in MidWest, stalled for female in MidWest, falling for male in Northeast, stalled for female in Northeast, falling for male in South, stalled for female in South, stalled for male in West, stalled for female in West. The long-term 25-year analysis reveals it has been falling for male in MidWest, stalled for female in MidWest, falling for male in Northeast, stalled for female in Northeast, too rising for male in South, stalled for female in South, falling for male in West, stalled for female in West. Across generations, 'Richard' has shown interesting popularity patterns: Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 10th out of 7545 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 5th out of 6773 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 7th out of 7552 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 12th out of 10718 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 33rd out of 16616 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 87th out of 24088 names. Among the Generation Alpha (2013-2024), it ranked 179th out of 23106 names. Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 892nd out of 9107 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 605th out of 9204 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 904th out of 12526 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 940th out of 19264 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 1703rd out of 27321 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 10288th out of 35406 names. Among the Generation Alpha (2013-2024), it ranked 28476th out of 30306 names. Discover how the name 'Richard' has evolved through American history with our comprehensive regional and generational analysis.

Infographic: Richard name meaning, origin, and popularity trends in the United States (US baby name analysis chart)
[600x500px image] Etymology and historical popularity of Richard,