Richard
From Middle English Rycharde, from Old French Richard, from Medieval Latin Richardus, Ricohardus, from Frankish *Rīkahard, from Proto-Germanic *Rīkaharduz, a…
Every Richard since 1880 — 2,587,082 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Richard
Richard is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #234 in 2025 with 1,505 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 2,587,082 American babies have been named Richard. Its peak came in 1946, when 58,990 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1940s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Richard stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Richard year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 1,505 | #234 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,544 | #233 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,645 | #222 |
| 2022 | 6 | #14,939 | 1,688 | #219 |
| 2021 | — | — | 1,783 | #216 |
| 2020 | — | — | 1,828 | #208 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,990 | #197 |
| 2018 | — | — | 2,138 | #187 |
| 2017 | — | — | 2,286 | #175 |
| 2016 | — | — | 2,525 | #160 |
| 2015 | — | — | 2,688 | #155 |
| 2014 | — | — | 2,888 | #141 |
| 2013 | — | — | 2,800 | #140 |
| 2012 | 5 | #18,976 | 3,029 | #123 |
| 2011 | — | — | 3,165 | #127 |
| 2010 | 5 | #19,241 | 3,238 | #125 |
| 2009 | 7 | #14,897 | 3,612 | #114 |
| 2008 | 5 | #19,839 | 4,060 | #108 |
| 2007 | 8 | #13,657 | 4,425 | #101 |
| 2006 | 8 | #13,351 | 4,469 | #99 |
| 2005 | 5 | #18,573 | 4,667 | #94 |
| 2004 | 23 | #5,513 | 4,848 | #92 |
| 2003 | 10 | #10,270 | 5,054 | #86 |
| 2002 | 11 | #9,358 | 5,322 | #77 |
| 2001 | 11 | #9,230 | 5,771 | #73 |
| 2000 | 11 | #9,026 | 6,354 | #65 |
| 1995 | 22 | #4,646 | 8,784 | #42 |
| 1990 | 54 | #2,337 | 13,580 | #35 |
| 1985 | 116 | #1,206 | 15,330 | #28 |
| 1980 | 121 | #1,129 | 16,656 | #26 |
| 1975 | 130 | #962 | 17,687 | #16 |
| 1970 | 160 | #846 | 30,442 | #10 |
| 1965 | 134 | #867 | 36,817 | #8 |
| 1960 | 124 | #964 | 43,553 | #8 |
| 1955 | 124 | #875 | 53,566 | #7 |
| 1950 | 96 | #912 | 51,003 | #7 |
| 1945 | 106 | #726 | 46,046 | #5 |
| 1940 | 108 | #667 | 37,425 | #5 |
| 1935 | 128 | #568 | 33,946 | #5 |
| 1930 | 164 | #534 | 32,187 | #5 |
| 1925 | 107 | #714 | 23,269 | #8 |
| 1920 | 54 | #1,014 | 15,010 | #10 |
| 1915 | 39 | #1,090 | 9,143 | #15 |
| 1910 | 9 | #1,746 | 1,654 | #21 |
| 1905 | — | — | 1,033 | #22 |
| 1900 | — | — | 1,141 | #24 |
| 1895 | 7 | #1,407 | 727 | #31 |
| 1890 | — | — | 743 | #25 |
| 1885 | — | — | 672 | #26 |
| 1880 | — | — | 728 | #23 |
Famous people named Richard
- Richard Wagner Composer · 1813–1883
- Richard III of England Politician · 1452–1485
- Richard I of England Politician · 1157–1199
- Richard Nixon Politician · 1913–1994
- Richard Burton Actor · 1925–1984
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Richard mean?
From Middle English Rycharde, from Old French Richard, from Medieval Latin Richardus, Ricohardus, from Frankish *Rīkahard, from Proto-Germanic *Rīkaharduz, a construction of *rīks (“king, ruler”) + *harduz (“hard, brave”).
How popular is the name Richard in 2025?
Richard ranked #234 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,505 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Richard?
2,587,082 babies have been named Richard in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Richard most popular?
Richard peaked in 1946, when 58,990 newborns received the name.
Is Richard a boy or girl name?
Richard is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Richard rising or falling?
Richard is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Richard?
Well-known people named Richard include Richard Wagner (composer), Richard III of England (politician), Richard I of England (politician).