Richard
Meaning of Richard
Richard is a stalwart oak of a name, rooted in the Old High German elements “ric” (ruler) and “hard” (brave), a fusion that whispers “powerful leader” every time it crosses the lips—pronounced simply RIH-churd in English. From the medieval courts of King Richard the Lionheart to the salsa-flavored plazas where his Spanish cousin Ricardo dances, this name has marched through history with both sword and guitar in hand. In the United States, Richard reigned among the Top 10 throughout the 1950s, then glided down the rankings like a seasoned caballero easing his horse, settling at a still-respectable No. 221 in 2024. Parents who choose it today are not chasing fleeting trends; they’re embracing a timeless standard—polished yet approachable, formal enough for a boardroom, warm enough for a backyard parrillada. Whether imagined in a tailored suit or a conquistador’s armor, Richard carries an echo of command tempered by corazón, offering a son both gravitas and an easy nickname—Rich, Rick, or Ricky—for life’s more playful passages.
Pronunciation
British English
- Pronunced as RIH-churd (/ˈrɪtʃəd/)
American English
- Pronunced as RIH-churd (/ˈrɪtʃərd/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Richard
| Richard Feynman was an American theoretical physicist celebrated for path integrals, quantum electrodynamics, superfluid helium, and the parton model, sharing the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics with Julian Schwinger and Shinichiro Tomonaga. |
| Sir Richard Branson is an English business magnate who cofounded the Virgin Group in 1970 and by 2016 controlled five companies. |
| Richard Dawkins is a British evolutionary biologist, author, and science communicator who popularized the gene centered view of evolution in The Selfish Gene, coined the term meme, and held prominent posts at Oxford while earning many awards. |
| Richard Stallman is an American programmer and free software activist who launched the GNU Project founded the Free Software Foundation created GCC and Emacs and wrote the GNU General Public License. |
| Richard Nathaniel Wright was an American author whose landmark books, including Native Son and Black Boy, confronted racial injustice and helped shape US race relations. |
| Richard Pryor was an American stand up comedian and actor renowned for bold storytelling, honored with an Emmy, five Grammys, the first Mark Twain Prize, a Writers Guild Award, and number one rankings by Comedy Central and Rolling Stone. |
| Richard Petty, known as the King, is a legendary American NASCAR driver who raced from 1958 to 1992 and holds records with 200 wins, seven Cup championships, and seven Daytona 500 victories. |
| Richard Ayoade is a British comedian and filmmaker best known for playing Maurice Moss in The IT Crowd, winning a 2014 BAFTA for Best Male Comedy Performance. |
| Richard Gere is an American actor who rose to fame with American Gigolo and starred in hits like Pretty Woman and Chicago, winning a Golden Globe for Chicago. |
| Richard Curtis is a British screenwriter, producer, and director best known for hit romantic comedies like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually, and for co-writing Blackadder, Mr Bean, and The Vicar of Dibley. |
| Richard Noel Marx is an American singer-songwriter who has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. |
| Richard Thaler - Richard H. Thaler is an American economist and University of Chicago Booth School of Business professor who served as president of the American Economic Association in 2015. |
| Richard Seymour is an American former NFL defensive end who played for the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders, drafted sixth overall in 2001 after starring at Georgia. |
| Richard Osman is an English television presenter, producer, and novelist who created and was a cohost of Pointless, presented Two Tribes and House of Games, and is a regular on British panel shows such as Would I Lie to You and QI. |
