Richard
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- RICH-ard
- Origin
- Germanic
- UK rank, 2025
- #441 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #234 for boys
Timeless
Richard is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “powerful and brave”. In 2025 it ranked 441st for boys in the UK (100 babies) and 234th for boys in the US (1,505 babies).
What does Richard mean?
Germanic: Germanic, via Norman French
“powerful and brave”
Brought to England by the Normans; three English kings bore it, including the crusader Richard the Lionheart.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Richard a girl's or a boy's name?
Richard is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 100 boys in the UK and 1,505 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Richard in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #441among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 100about 1 in 3,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 36% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 100 boys in the UK were named Richard, making it the 441st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 357th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 1,159 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 7 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Richard since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Richard in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2011. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 431st in England and Wales, 560th in Scotland and 395th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#25), 1914 (#26), 1924 (#32), 1934 (#28), 1944 (#11), 1954 (#10), 1964 (#10), 1974 (#5), 1984 (#8) and 1994 (#49).
Richard in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 100 | #441 |
| 2024 | 106 | #422 |
| 2023 | 109 | #415 |
| 2022 | 133 | #364 |
| 2021 | 136 | #366 |
| 2020 | 141 | #357 |
| 2019 | 161 | #329 |
| 2018 | 188 | #296 |
| 2017 | 178 | #319 |
| 2016 | 197 | #292 |
| 2015 | 220 | #263 |
| 2014 | 201 | #275 |
| 2013 | 210 | #266 |
| 2012 | 221 | #253 |
| 2011 | 222 | #243 |
| 2010 | 251 | #225 |
| 2009 | 252 | #212 |
| 2008 | 266 | #202 |
| 2007 | 273 | #194 |
| 2006 | 261 | #191 |
| 2005 | 289 | #177 |
| 2004 | 283 | #171 |
| 2003 | 339 | #150 |
| 2002 | 346 | #143 |
| 2001 | 441 | #119 |
| 2000 | 547 | #107 |
| 1999 | 624 | #97 |
| 1998 | 766 | #87 |
| 1997 | 969 | #76 |
| 1996 | 1,159 | #65 |
How popular is Richard in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #234among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,505about 1 in 1,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 21% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.2%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,505 boys in the US were named Richard, making it the 234th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 208th. Its busiest year was 1946, with 58,870 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 11 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Richard than any year since 1909.
Half of all the boys named Richard in the US since 1880 were born between 1939 and 1966, the years shaded on the chart below.
Richard in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,505 | #234 |
| 2024 | 1,544 | #233 |
| 2023 | 1,645 | #221 |
| 2022 | 1,688 | #219 |
| 2021 | 1,783 | #216 |
| 2020 | 1,828 | #208 |
| 2019 | 1,990 | #197 |
| 2018 | 2,138 | #187 |
| 2017 | 2,286 | #174 |
| 2016 | 2,525 | #160 |
| 2015 | 2,688 | #155 |
| 2014 | 2,888 | #141 |
| 2013 | 2,800 | #140 |
| 2012 | 3,029 | #123 |
| 2011 | 3,165 | #127 |
| 2010 | 3,238 | #125 |
| 2009 | 3,612 | #114 |
| 2008 | 4,060 | #108 |
| 2007 | 4,425 | #101 |
| 2006 | 4,469 | #99 |
| 2005 | 4,667 | #94 |
| 2004 | 4,848 | #92 |
| 2003 | 5,054 | #86 |
| 2002 | 5,322 | #77 |
| 2001 | 5,771 | #73 |
| 2000 | 6,354 | #65 |
| 1999 | 6,502 | #61 |
| 1998 | 6,954 | #55 |
| 1997 | 7,243 | #51 |
| 1996 | 8,182 | #45 |
| 1995 | 8,784 | #42 |
| 1994 | 9,516 | #41 |
| 1993 | 10,230 | #40 |
| 1992 | 11,332 | #41 |
| 1991 | 12,553 | #34 |
| 1990 | 13,580 | #35 |
| 1989 | 14,133 | #33 |
| 1988 | 14,144 | #32 |
| 1987 | 14,401 | #30 |
| 1986 | 15,014 | #29 |
| 1985 | 15,330 | #28 |
| 1984 | 15,607 | #27 |
| 1983 | 15,888 | #27 |
| 1982 | 16,717 | #27 |
| 1981 | 16,855 | #27 |
| 1980 | 16,656 | #26 |
| 1979 | 16,713 | #25 |
| 1978 | 16,734 | #21 |
| 1977 | 17,442 | #20 |
| 1976 | 16,752 | #19 |
| 1975 | 17,687 | #16 |
| 1974 | 18,636 | #17 |
| 1973 | 19,942 | #16 |
| 1972 | 22,302 | #14 |
| 1971 | 26,154 | #11 |
| 1970 | 30,442 | #10 |
| 1969 | 31,085 | #10 |
| 1968 | 32,976 | #8 |
| 1967 | 33,585 | #8 |
| 1966 | 34,457 | #8 |
| 1965 | 36,817 | #8 |
| 1964 | 40,098 | #8 |
| 1963 | 40,772 | #8 |
| 1962 | 39,422 | #8 |
| 1961 | 41,142 | #8 |
| 1960 | 43,553 | #8 |
| 1959 | 47,202 | #8 |
| 1958 | 50,007 | #8 |
| 1957 | 52,446 | #8 |
| 1956 | 52,915 | #7 |
| 1955 | 53,566 | #7 |
| 1954 | 57,042 | #7 |
| 1953 | 58,389 | #7 |
| 1952 | 58,350 | #7 |
| 1951 | 54,541 | #7 |
| 1950 | 51,003 | #7 |
| 1949 | 50,946 | #7 |
| 1948 | 50,970 | #7 |
| 1947 | 58,532 | #5 |
| 1946 | 58,870 | #5 |
| 1945 | 46,046 | #5 |
| 1944 | 45,643 | #5 |
| 1943 | 46,339 | #5 |
| 1942 | 43,593 | #5 |
| 1941 | 39,112 | #5 |
| 1940 | 37,425 | #5 |
| 1939 | 35,386 | #5 |
| 1938 | 34,385 | #5 |
| 1937 | 32,975 | #5 |
| 1936 | 33,494 | #5 |
| 1935 | 33,946 | #5 |
| 1934 | 33,167 | #5 |
| 1933 | 31,331 | #5 |
| 1932 | 31,809 | #5 |
| 1931 | 31,822 | #5 |
| 1930 | 32,187 | #5 |
| 1929 | 29,572 | #6 |
| 1928 | 28,793 | #6 |
| 1927 | 26,768 | #6 |
| 1926 | 25,143 | #7 |
| 1925 | 23,269 | #8 |
| 1924 | 21,244 | #8 |
| 1923 | 18,887 | #9 |
| 1922 | 17,537 | #9 |
| 1921 | 16,376 | #10 |
| 1920 | 15,010 | #10 |
| 1919 | 12,441 | #12 |
| 1918 | 12,323 | #12 |
| 1917 | 10,914 | #14 |
| 1916 | 10,134 | #15 |
| 1915 | 9,143 | #15 |
| 1914 | 6,669 | #17 |
| 1913 | 5,107 | #19 |
| 1912 | 4,188 | #19 |
| 1911 | 2,030 | #20 |
| 1910 | 1,654 | #21 |
| 1909 | 1,427 | #21 |
| 1908 | 1,244 | #23 |
| 1907 | 1,235 | #22 |
| 1906 | 1,084 | #23 |
| 1905 | 1,033 | #22 |
| 1904 | 957 | #24 |
| 1903 | 862 | #26 |
| 1902 | 908 | #26 |
| 1901 | 784 | #26 |
| 1900 | 1,141 | #24 |
| 1899 | 744 | #27 |
| 1898 | 871 | #26 |
| 1897 | 702 | #31 |
| 1896 | 834 | #26 |
| 1895 | 727 | #31 |
| 1894 | 808 | #25 |
| 1893 | 732 | #26 |
| 1892 | 802 | #27 |
| 1891 | 609 | #27 |
| 1890 | 743 | #25 |
| 1889 | 711 | #24 |
| 1888 | 772 | #26 |
| 1887 | 622 | #25 |
| 1886 | 720 | #23 |
| 1885 | 672 | #26 |
| 1884 | 749 | #23 |
| 1883 | 649 | #21 |
| 1882 | 746 | #22 |
| 1881 | 641 | #22 |
| 1880 | 728 | #23 |
Nicknames for Richard
Names like Richard
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Robert William David Thomas Charles Edward Leonard Billy Patrick James Michael Harry
Names related to Richard
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Ella Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice Myles
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Richard: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/richard, updated 20 October 2026.