Rickey is of American origin, derived from the German name Richard, which means "strong" or "powerful". It gained popularity as a given name during the mid-20th century in the United States. The name Rickey is associated with Rickey Henderson, often regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, who may have contributed to its rise in usage during his peak years in the 1980s and 1990s. It is a unique and distinct name that has seen moderate use over the years but remains relatively uncommon compared to other names like Richard or Ricky.
The name Rickey peaked in popularity between the mid-1940s to late-1950s with over 20 births annually during this period, reaching a high of 34 births in 1947 and 36 births in 1958. However, it declined sharply after the early 1960s, with fewer than 10 births per year from 1966 onwards, indicating that Rickey was no longer a popular name choice for newborns by this time. Overall, there were a total of 674 births named Rickey over these years.