Total births
9,926
Boys' name · since 1915
Rico
Rico has 9,926 recorded births since 1915 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1991 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1694
- among boys today
- 9,926
- born since 1915
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Rico is the #1694 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 9,926 recorded since 1915.
Rico has 9,926 recorded births among boys since 1915, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1694 as of the latest data, more common than 88% of boys, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #1694 among boys today
- 9,926 born since 1915
- 1970s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rico is currently the #1694 boys' name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 9,926 born since 1915, peaking in the 1970s.
- #1694
- among boys today
- 9,926
- born since 1915
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Rico vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1694
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
1970s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Rico was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
319 babies were named Rico in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
How Rico compares
9,926 Top 8% higher than 92% 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
Rico's all-time total is 27x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rico | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,926 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 319 | 23 | 22,252 |
Rico's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Rico's full recorded timeline at 1977, 78% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 22% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1922, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1991 peak of 319 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Rico at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1991
Current rank
#1,694
Active since
1915
Rico popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (1991)
- 319
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Rico popularity over time - girls
45 total births recorded since 1970 (Rico as girls' name)
Rico by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Rico's strongest decade.
2,049 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Rico births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 26
1910s
26 births
- 1920s 53
1920s
53 births
- 1930s 29
1930s
29 births
- 1940s 50
1940s
50 births
- 1950s 177
1950s
177 births
- 1960s 460
1960s
460 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,049 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,844 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,972 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,298 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,323 births
- 2020s 645
2020s
645 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 2,049 births (21% of all-time use).
How Rico 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 Rico's total volume
Rico vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Rico by state
Where Rico concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,083 | 10.9% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 844 | 8.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 683 | 6.9% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 485 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Florida | | 436 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 428 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 361 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 357 | 3.6% |
California share of Rico's total US births 10.9%
Even split
1,083 of 9,926 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 33 reporting states.
Rico appears in 33 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rico? ▼
Since 1915, Social Security records show 9,926 babies named Rico. Today it holds rank #1694 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1991, with 319 births.
When was Rico most popular? ▼
Rico was most popular in the 1970s decade with 2,049 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
Where is Rico most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rico are California (1,083 births), Georgia (844 births), Texas (683 births).
How long has the name Rico been used? ▼
Records for Rico go back to 1915, giving 111 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Rico? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Richard, Ricky, Ricardo, Rick, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Rico's data
- Rico's decade-level peak was the 1970s (2,049 total births); usage has since declined to 645 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Ricos (1,083 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 Rico
Nearby Names Like Rico
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rico
Richard Boy
#233 2,577,552 births
Ricky Boy
#827 223,145 births
Ricardo Boy
#373 146,456 births
Rick Boy
#2928 81,829 births
Rickey Boy
#2760 61,717 births
Compare Rico side by side: Rico vs Richard Rico vs Ricky Rico vs Ricardo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rico
Cosmo #1693
2,949 births · Peak 2022
Tyrell #1695
16,070 births · Peak 1992
Arlen #1692
7,345 births · Peak 1934
Kainoa #1696
2,656 births · Peak 2016
Giuseppe #1691
6,365 births · Peak 1975
Eder #1697
3,284 births · Peak 2015
Woodrow #1690
39,107 births · Peak 1918
Rylee #1698
5,547 births · Peak 2010
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, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rico: #1694 Boys' Name - 9,926 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rico. 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 Rico 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.