Male name
Richard
8,657 births (England and Wales, 1996–2025), peaking in 1996. Expression number: 7.
Origin
From Middle English Rycharde, from Old French Richard, from Medieval Latin Richardus, Ricohardus, from Frankish *Rīkahard, from Proto-Germanic *Rīkaharduz, a construction of *rīks (“king, ruler”) + *harduz (“hard, brave”). Cognate with Old High German Rīcohard (“Richard”). Partially related to rich. A hypothetical Old English equivalent *Rīċheard would also yield an identical "Richard" in Modern English, though it is unknown if the Old English equivalent existed.From Wiktionary, entry “Richard”, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Do you know a Richard?
Send them the page about their name.
How many babies received it
From the official birth registers.
In England and Wales
Peak in 1996: 1,089 births. 8,657 births from 1996 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1990s. At its peak, it ranked 62nd among boys' names in 1996. It is still given: 536 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the United States
Peak in 1946: 58,990 births. 2,587,082 births from 1880 to 2025. A name given steadily, decade after decade, from the 1920s to the 1960s. At its peak, it ranked 5th among boys' names in 1930. It is still given: 8,171 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names, public domain.
In Ireland
Peak in 1986: 386 births. 11,345 births from 1964 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. At its peak, it ranked 20th among boys' names in 1986. It is still given: 110 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies' Names, CC BY 4.0.
Elsewhere in the world
The name in the birth records of the 10 countries we track. The period covered varies from country to country.
| Country | Births | Period | Best rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 84,200 | 1900–2025 | 41st in 1969 |
| Switzerland | 7,929* | 1915–2025 | — |
| Austria | 3,267 | 1984–2025 | 43rd in 1984 |
| Quebec | 2,229 | 1980–2025 | 44th in 1980 |
| Berlin | 957 | 2012–2023 | 47th in 2012 |
| Argentina | 825 | 2012–2023 | — |
| Belgium | 32 | 2014–2023 | — |
* These are the people living in the country, counted by year of birth, not the number of births.
Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms, Etalab Open Licence 2.0; Federal Statistical Office, First names of the population by year of birth, free use with attribution; Statistik Austria, Vornamen, CC BY 4.0; Retraite Québec, Banque de prénoms, CC BY 4.0; Open Data Berlin, Häufige Vornamen, CC BY 3.0 DE (every name a child carries, not only the first); RENAPER, Nombres propios en Argentina, CC BY 4.0 (the registry doesn't record sex); Statbel, first names of newborns, CC BY 4.0 (one total for the whole period, no yearly breakdown).
The numbers of the name
Each letter has a value: A = 1, B = 2… I = 9, then J = 1 again (Pythagorean method). We add them up, then reduce to a single digit, except 11, 22 and 33.
■ vowel · ■ consonant
Expression
All the letters: talents, the way you act.
7
reflection, inner life, seeking
9 + 9 + 3 + 8 + 1 + 9 + 4 = 43 → 7
Soul
The vowels: what drives you deep down.
1
initiative, independence, beginnings
9 + 1 = 10 → 1
Personality
The consonants: what others notice first.
33
the guide, self-giving (master number)
9 + 3 + 8 + 9 + 4 = 33
- Digits missing from the name
- 2, 5, 6, 7
- Most frequent digit
- 9 · humanity, generosity, completion
The meaning of the numbers comes from numerological tradition; it isn't a measure of your personality. A full portrait needs your first and middle names, your last name at birth, and your date of birth. How we calculate
Your name and theirs
The number of each name, and the number of the bond, which comes from adding them together. A symbolic game: what your two names say together, to be read as a metaphor, not as a verdict on your relationship.