How to say it
RICH · ard
ˈrɪtʃ.ɚd
Masculine
Richard
Brave ruler
What it means
Germanic rīc ('power, ruler') + hard ('brave, hardy'). Three medieval English kings, including Richard the Lionheart; Shakespeare's Richard III is the most-quoted villain in English drama.
Richard comes from the Germanic rīc ('power, rule') + hard ('brave, hardy, strong'). Three English kings were Richards: Richard I 'the Lionheart' (1189-1199, the Crusader king celebrated in Robin Hood legend), Richard II (1377-1399, the subject of Shakespeare's history play), and Richard III (1483-1485, the subject of another Shakespeare play and the most-quoted villain in English drama, 'My kingdom for a horse!'). His skeleton was discovered under a Leicester parking lot in 2012. The English Richard was steady for centuries and peaked in the 1940s; it's sliding now. Common shorts: Rick, Dick (the historical default, now dated), Richie, Rich.
How to spell Richard
The standard spelling is Richard. Common variants include Ricardo, Riccardo, but Richard is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #5 in 1930, currently #234 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Rick is the dominant modern short. Dick was the historical default short (the rhyme pattern Rick → Dick is medieval) but now reads as either dated or unfortunate depending on the room. Richie and Rich are middle-ground.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Richard the Lionheart King Richard I of England, Crusader king, central to Robin Hood legend
- Richard Nixon 37th US president, Watergate
- Sir Richard Branson British entrepreneur, founder of Virgin Group
Spelling variants
- Ricardo
- Riccardo
Names with the same feeling
See Richard from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Richard mean?
- Germanic rīc ('power, ruler') + hard ('brave, hardy'). Three medieval English kings, including Richard the Lionheart; Shakespeare's Richard III is the most-quoted villain in English drama.
- What does Richard mean in Germanic?
- In Germanic, Richard means "Brave ruler." Richard comes from the Germanic rīc ('power, rule') + hard ('brave, hardy, strong'). Three English kings were Richards: Richard I 'the Lionheart' (1189-1199, the Crusader king celebrated in Robin Hood legend), Richard II (1377-1399, the subject of Shakespeare's history play), and Richard III (1483-1485, the subject of another Shakespeare play and the most-quoted villain in English drama, 'My kingdom for a horse!'). His skeleton was discovered under a Leicester parking lot in 2012. The English Richard was steady for centuries and peaked in the 1940s; it's sliding now. Common shorts: Rick, Dick (the historical default, now dated), Richie, Rich.
- How do you pronounce Richard?
- Richard is pronounced ˈrɪtʃ.ɚd. Say it as RICH-ard, with the stress on the "rich" syllable.
- How do you spell Richard?
- The standard spelling is Richard. Common spelling variants include Ricardo, Riccardo.
- Is Richard a boy or girl name?
- Richard is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Richard?
- Richard ranked #234 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.