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The short answer
Richard is a masculine name used in English and French. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Means ‘brave ruler’, derived from the Old German elements rih ‘ruler, king’ and hart ‘hard, firm, brave, hardy’. This was the name of three early dukes of Normandy." It ranked #234 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, means ‘brave ruler’, derived from the Old German elements rih ‘ruler, king’ and hart ‘hard, firm, brave, hardy’. This was the name of three early dukes of Normandy. The entry lists its usage as English, French, German, Czech and others.
Editorial confidence: established
Popularity
Richard ranked #234 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #234 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Richard in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Richard mean?
Richard means "brave ruler", according to Behind the Name.
Is Richard a popular name?
Richard ranked #234 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Richard a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Richard appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Richard — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
