Dick is a male given name of English origin. It is a diminutive form of Richard, which means "strong" or "powerful." The name Richard has been popular for centuries, and it is believed to have originated from the Germanic elements ric, meaning "power," and hard, meaning "strong."
The name Dick was first used as a nickname for Richard in the Middle Ages. It became more common during the Victorian era, particularly in Britain and the United States. However, its usage has declined significantly in recent decades.
Some notable people with the name Dick include American baseball player Richard "Dick" Williams, British actor Richard "Dick" Van Dyke, and former US President Richard "Dick" Nixon. Despite its decline in popularity, the name Dick remains a part of popular culture and continues to be used occasionally today.
The name Dick experienced a significant rise in popularity from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, with a peak of 775 births in 1927. However, it began a steady decline thereafter, dropping to just 5 births in 2005. Overall, there were 29,273 births with the name Dick from 1880 to 2005.