The name Richard is of Germanic origin and comes from the elements ric, meaning "power" or "strength", and hard, meaning "strong", "brave", or "hardy". Together, these elements form a name that suggests someone who is powerful, strong, brave, and hardy.
Richard was first used as a given name during the Middle Ages in England. It was borne by several kings of England, including Richard I (also known as Richard the Lionheart), who ruled from 1189 to 1199, and Richard III, who reigned from 1483 until his death at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Due to its association with these royal figures, the name Richard became quite popular in England during this time.
The name Richard has also been used throughout history by various notable individuals in fields such as literature, politics, and science. For example, Sir Richard Francis Burton was a renowned explorer and writer who is best known for his translation of "One Thousand and One Nights". Meanwhile, Richard III was famously portrayed by Ian McKellen in Shakespeare's play of the same name.
Today, Richard remains a popular choice for boys' names around the world. It has consistently ranked among the top 1000 most popular baby boy names in the United States since the early 20th century. In France, it is one of the most common male given names, with over 300,000 people sharing this name as of 2019.
In literature and popular culture, Richard has been used as a character name numerous times. Some notable examples include Richard Cory from Edwin Arlington Robinson's poem of the same name, Richard Campbell in John le Carré's spy novel "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", and Richard Harrow on the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire".
Here are some observations about the name Richard based on these statistics:
- The name Richard was popular throughout much of the 19th and early to mid-20th centuries, with a peak around the years leading up to World War II.
- From 1880 to 1946, there were more than 700 births each year with the name Richard. However, after 1957, this number started to decline significantly.
- The highest number of births named Richard occurred in 1932, with a total of 4,788 newborns given that name.
- Conversely, the lowest point was reached in 2023, with only 1,638 babies being named Richard at birth.
- Overall, from 1880 to 2023, there were a total of 2,574,402 births registered as Richard. This makes it one of the most popular names during this period.