Richard, of Germanic origin, means 'powerful' or 'brave'. It was brought to Britain by the Normans and has been a popular choice ever since. The name reached its peak popularity in England during the 19th century but remains widely used today. Notable Richards include King Richard I of England (also known as Richard the Lionheart), Shakespeare's tragic hero Richard III, and American actor Richard Gere.
The name Richard reached its peak popularity during the mid-1950s with five births each year in 1952 and 1956. However, it significantly increased to nine births in 1957 before declining again to seven births in 1958 and back down to five births in 1959. Overall, there were a total of 31 births with the name Richard during this period.