Total births
2,577,552
Boys' name · since 1880
Richard
2,577,552 babies named Richard in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1946. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #233
- among boys today
- 2,577,552
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Richard currently ranks #233 among boys' names in America, with 2,577,552 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Richard has been recorded 2,577,552 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #233 nationally and more common than 98% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #233 among boys today
- 2,577,552 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Richard is currently the #233 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 2,577,552 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #233
- among boys today
- 2,577,552
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Richard vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#233
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Richard was born in this single decade.
1946
Single peak year
58,870 babies were named Richard in 1946 - its busiest year on record.
How Richard compares
2,577,552 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Richard's all-time total is 7,023x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Richard | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,577,552 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 58,870 | 23 | 22,252 |
Richard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Richard's full recorded timeline at 1953, 50% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 50% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1891, with just 609 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1946 peak of 58,870 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Richard at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1946
Current rank
#233
Active since
1880
Richard popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1946)
- 58,870
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Richard popularity over time - girls
9,530 total births recorded since 1886 (Richard as girls' name)
Richard by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Richard's strongest decade.
535,461 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Richard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 7,010
1880s
7,010 births
- 1890s 7,572
1890s
7,572 births
- 1900s 10,675
1900s
10,675 births
- 1910s 74,603
1910s
74,603 births
- 1920s
1920s
222,599 births
- 1930s
1930s
330,502 births
- 1940s
1940s
477,476 births
- 1950s
1950s
535,461 births
- 1960s
1960s
373,907 births
- 1970s 202,804
1970s
202,804 births
- 1980s 154,745
1980s
154,745 births
- 1990s 94,876
1990s
94,876 births
- 2000s 48,582
2000s
48,582 births
- 2010s 26,747
2010s
26,747 births
- 2020s 9,993
2020s
9,993 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 535,461 births (21% of all-time use).
How Richard 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 Richard's total volume
Richard vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Richard by state
Where Richard concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 264,703 | 10.3% |
| #2 | California | | 225,668 | 8.8% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 186,045 | 7.2% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 156,777 | 6.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 150,614 | 5.8% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 119,356 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Texas | | 111,892 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 109,550 | 4.3% |
New York share of Richard's total US births 10.3%
Even split
264,703 of 2,577,552 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Richard appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Richard? ▼
2,577,552 babies have been named Richard since 1880. It currently ranks #233 among boys. The peak year was 1946 with 58,870 births.
When was Richard most popular? ▼
Richard was most popular in the 1950s decade with 535,461 total births. The single peak year was 1946.
Where is Richard most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Richard are New York (264,703 births), California (225,668 births), Pennsylvania (186,045 births).
How long has the name Richard been used? ▼
Records for Richard go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Richard? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ricky, Ricardo, Rick, Rickey, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Richard's data
- Richard's decade-level peak was the 1950s (535,461 total births); usage has since declined to 9,993 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Richards (264,703 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Richard
Nearby Names Like Richard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Richard
Ricky Boy
#827 223,145 births
Ricardo Boy
#373 146,456 births
Rick Boy
#2928 81,829 births
Rickey Boy
#2760 61,717 births
Rickie Boy
#6531 16,383 births
Compare Richard side by side: Richard vs Ricky Richard vs Ricardo Richard vs Rick
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Richard
Malakai #232
17,830 births · Peak 2025
Ismael #234
44,216 births · Peak 2024
Milan #231
18,608 births · Peak 2024
Kyrie #235
18,612 births · Peak 2017
Brandon #230
770,509 births · Peak 1992
Louis #236
406,470 births · Peak 1921
Riley #229
105,025 births · Peak 2006
Elian #237
15,268 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Richard: #233 Boys' Name - 2,577,552 Births, Peak 1946." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/richard. 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 Richard 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.