Total births
146,456
Boys' name · since 1888
Ricardo
Ricardo has 146,456 recorded births since 1888 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1998 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #373
- among boys today
- 146,456
- born since 1888
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
146,456 babies have been named Ricardo since 1888, making it today's #373 boys' name.
Ricardo has 146,456 recorded births among boys since 1888, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #373 as of the latest data, more common than 97% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1888 to 2025.
- #373 among boys today
- 146,456 born since 1888
- 1990s peak decade
- 97% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ricardo is currently the #373 boys' name in America, more common than 97% of boys - 146,456 born since 1888, peaking in the 1990s.
- #373
- among boys today
- 146,456
- born since 1888
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other boys
Ricardo vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#373
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 97% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Ricardo was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
3,044 babies were named Ricardo in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Ricardo compares
146,456 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ricardo's all-time total is 399x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ricardo | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 146,456 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,044 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ricardo's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Ricardo's SSA record in two at 1963 and the more recent half accounts for 86% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 14%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1901, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1998 peak of 3,044, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Ricardo at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1998
Current rank
#373
Active since
1888
Ricardo popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1888–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 3,044
- Annual births at peak, across 138 years of records
Ricardo popularity over time - girls
713 total births recorded since 1942 (Ricardo as girls' name)
Ricardo by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Ricardo's strongest decade.
29,311 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Ricardo births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1890s 7
1890s
7 births
- 1900s 61
1900s
61 births
- 1910s 330
1910s
330 births
- 1920s 1,168
1920s
1,168 births
- 1930s 1,789
1930s
1,789 births
- 1940s 3,044
1940s
3,044 births
- 1950s 10,318
1950s
10,318 births
- 1960s
1960s
13,149 births
- 1970s
1970s
17,657 births
- 1980s
1980s
23,089 births
- 1990s
1990s
29,311 births
- 2000s
2000s
27,190 births
- 2010s
2010s
13,928 births
- 2020s 5,409
2020s
5,409 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 29,311 births (20% of all-time use).
How Ricardo compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ricardo's total volume
Ricardo vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ricardo by state
Where Ricardo concentrates geographically, total births since 1888
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 43,567 | 29.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 37,583 | 25.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 8,860 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 7,637 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Florida | | 6,196 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 4,918 | 3.4% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 2,739 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 2,403 | 1.6% |
California share of Ricardo's total US births 29.7%
Even split
43,567 of 146,456 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.
Ricardo appears in 44 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ricardo? ▼
Since 1888, Social Security records show 146,456 babies named Ricardo. Today it holds rank #373 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1998, with 3,044 births.
When was Ricardo most popular? ▼
Ricardo was most popular in the 1990s decade with 29,311 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Ricardo most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ricardo are California (43,567 births), Texas (37,583 births), New York (8,860 births).
How long has the name Ricardo been used? ▼
Records for Ricardo go back to 1888, giving 138 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ricardo? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Richard, Ricky, Rick, Rickey, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ricardo's data
- Ricardo's decade-level peak was the 1990s (29,311 total births); usage has since declined to 5,409 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Ricardos (43,567 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ricardo
Nearby Names Like Ricardo
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ricardo
Richard Boy
#233 2,577,552 births
Ricky Boy
#827 223,145 births
Rick Boy
#2928 81,829 births
Rickey Boy
#2760 61,717 births
Rickie Boy
#6531 16,383 births
Compare Ricardo side by side: Ricardo vs Richard Ricardo vs Ricky Ricardo vs Rick
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ricardo
Grady #372
52,474 births · Peak 2008
Stephen #374
864,739 births · Peak 1952
Killian #371
16,219 births · Peak 2017
Zander #375
28,750 births · Peak 2013
Sterling #370
37,474 births · Peak 2025
Kylo #376
5,345 births · Peak 2024
Rylan #369
34,532 births · Peak 2011
Wells #377
6,989 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1888–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ricardo: #373 Boys' Name - 146,456 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ricardo. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ricardo draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.