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Baby Names:

Richard

Meaning: Brave, hearty; power

Origin: German

Alternate spellings: Ricardo, Ricky, Dick, Rick, Rich, Richie

If Richard has a regal sound to it, there’s a good reason. It was hugely popular in the twelfth century due to England’s King Richard the Lionheart (he led one of the little military offensives called the Crusades). In the U.S., Richard was on the charts in 1880 and was a top 30 name for more than one hundred years, even spending quite a bit of time in the top 10. It started to decline in the 1970s and has very slowly fallen down the charts, though it hasn’t gone far. One of the great things about Richard is the nickname potential. Dick isn’t so popular anymore (for obvious reasons), but Rick, Ricky, and Richie are cute.