Total births
8,456
Girls' name · since 1942
Richelle
8,456 babies named Richelle in U.S. Social Security records since 1942, with the highest year being 1969. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12308
- among girls today
- 8,456
- born since 1942
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Richelle is the #12308 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 8,456 recorded since 1942.
Social Security Administration records show Richelle recorded 8,456 times among girls since 1942, holding rank #12308 nationally today, ahead of 31% of girls, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1942 to 2025.
- #12308 among girls today
- 8,456 born since 1942
- 1970s peak decade
- 31% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Richelle is currently the #12308 girls' name in America, more common than 31% of girls - 8,456 born since 1942, peaking in the 1970s.
- #12308
- among girls today
- 8,456
- born since 1942
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 31%
- more common than other girls
Richelle vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#12308
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 31% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Richelle was born in this single decade.
1969
Single peak year
281 babies were named Richelle in 1969 - its busiest year on record.
How Richelle compares
8,456 Top 10% higher than 90% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Richelle's all-time total is 22x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Richelle | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,456 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 281 | 48 | 19,840 |
Richelle's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Richelle's SSA record in two at 1985 and the more recent half accounts for 41% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 59%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1942, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1969 peak of 281, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Richelle at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1969
Current rank
#12,308
Active since
1942
Richelle popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1942–2025
- Peak year (1969)
- 281
- Annual births at peak, across 84 years of records
Richelle by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Richelle's strongest decade.
2,096 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Richelle births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 61
1940s
61 births
- 1950s 409
1950s
409 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,518 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,096 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,941 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,444 births
- 2000s 625
2000s
625 births
- 2010s 289
2010s
289 births
- 2020s 73
2020s
73 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 2,096 births (25% of all-time use).
How Richelle compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Richelle's total volume
Richelle vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Richelle by state
Where Richelle concentrates geographically, total births since 1942
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,164 | 13.8% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 527 | 6.2% |
| #3 | New York | | 499 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 423 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 422 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Texas | | 300 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 264 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Washington | | 228 | 2.7% |
California share of Richelle's total US births 13.8%
Even split
1,164 of 8,456 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Richelle appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Richelle? ▼
Since 1942, Social Security records show 8,456 babies named Richelle. Today it holds rank #12308 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1969, with 281 births.
When was Richelle most popular? ▼
Richelle was most popular in the 1970s decade with 2,096 total births. The single peak year was 1969.
Where is Richelle most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Richelle are California (1,164 births), Pennsylvania (527 births), New York (499 births).
How long has the name Richelle been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Richelle since 1942 -- 84 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Richelle? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Richard, Ricki, Ricky, Rickie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Richelle's data
- Richelle's decade-level peak was the 1970s (2,096 total births); usage has since declined to 73 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Richelles (1,164 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 Richelle
Nearby Names Like Richelle
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Richelle
Richard Girl
9,530 births
Ricki Girl
#4914 4,442 births
Ricky Girl
#9636 1,944 births
Rickie Girl
#8982 1,854 births
Ricci Girl
854 births
Compare Richelle side by side: Richelle vs Richard Richelle vs Ricki Richelle vs Ricky
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Richelle
Siri #12307
2,331 births · Peak 2009
Vallerie #12309
1,122 births · Peak 2009
Adriann #12306
960 births · Peak 1978
Faline #12310
117 births · Peak 2025
Shane #12305
3,583 births · Peak 1973
Shawnee #12311
3,909 births · Peak 1992
Lauralie #12304
119 births · Peak 2002
Sharlette #12312
347 births · Peak 1973
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, 1942–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Richelle: #12308 Girls' Name - 8,456 Births, Peak 1969." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/richelle. 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 Richelle 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.