Richard is a masculine given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic *rīk- 'ruler, leader, king' and *hardu- 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong in rule'. Nicknames include "Richie", "Dick", "Dickon", "Dickie", "Rich", "Rick", "Rico", "Ricky", and more.
Richard is a common English (the name was introduced into England by the Normans), German and French male name. It is also used in many more languages, particularly Germanic, such as Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Icelandic, and Dutch, as well as other languages including Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Finnish. Richard is cognate with variants of the name in other European languages, such as the Swedish "Rickard", the Portuguese and Spanish "Ricardo" and the Italian "Riccardo".
People named Richard
Multiple people with the same name
Richard Andersen (disambiguation) Richard Anderson (disambiguation) Richard Black (disambiguation) Richard Burton (disambiguation) Richard Cartwright (disambiguation) Richard Chase (disambiguation) Richard Cole (disambiguation) Richard Connell (disambiguation) Richard Dale (disambiguation) Richard Gibson (disambiguation) Richard Gough (disambiguation) Richard Green (disambiguation) Richard Greene (disambiguation) Richard Griffith (disambiguation) Richard Griffiths (disambiguation) Richard Harris (disambiguation) Richard Leonard (disambiguation) Richard Marks (disambiguation) Richard Rodgers (disambiguation) Richard Rogers (disambiguation) Richard Seymour (disambiguation) Richard Walsh (disambiguation) Richard Welch (disambiguation) Richard Wilkins (disambiguation) Richard Wilson (disambiguation) Richard Worley (disambiguation)
Rulers and heads of state Richard, Duke of Burgundy (858–921) Richard I of Normandy (933–996), Duke of Normandy Richard II, Duke of Normandy (died 1026), son of Richard I of Normandy Richard I of Capua (died 1078), King of Capua and Count of Aversa Richard I of England or Richard the Lionheart (1157–1199) Richard of Cornwall (1209–1272), 1st Earl of Cornwall, elected King of Germany Richard II of England (1367–1400) Richard III of England (1452–1485) Richard Cromwell (1626–1712), son and successor of Oliver Cromwell, Protector of England
Aristocrats and non-ruling royals Richard, Count of Évreux (died 1067), a Norman aristocrat Richard, Count of Molise (died c. 1170), a Norman nobleman Richard, Count of Acerra (died 1196), an Italo-Norman nobleman Richard fitz Gilbert (before 1035 – c. 1090), Norman lord involved in the conquest of England Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester (1222–1262) Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster (1259–1326) Richard Orsini (died 1304), Count Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, Count of Gravina, Bailli of Achaea Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1400–1460), Yorkist leader in the Wars of the Roses Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York (1411–1460), a principal participant in the Wars of the Roses Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (1428–1471), wealthy English magnate and major protagonist in the Wars of the Roses Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York (1473 – c. 1483), who would have been King Richard IV of England if he had lived Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington (1694–1753), instrumental in the revival of Palladian architecture Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos (1797–1861), noted for squandering his great wealth Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos (1823–1889), British soldier, politician and administrator Prince Richard von Metternich (1829–1895), Austrian diplomat Richard, 4th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1882–1925), in present-day Germany Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1934–2017), German-Swedish aristocrat and landowner, husband of Princess Benedikte of Denmark Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (born 1944), British royal
Religious figures Saint Richard (disambiguation), several saints Richard (Dean of Armagh), early 13th century Dean of Armagh, Ireland Richard (first abbot of Fountains) (died 1139), an English Benedictine and Cistercian Richard (II), bishop of Bayeux (early 12th century), France Richard (III), bishop of Bayeux (12th century), France Richard I (bishop of Dunkeld) (died 1178), Scotland Richard the Chaplain (died 1178), chaplain of Malcolm IV of Scotland Richard (bishop of the Isles), late 13th century Bishop of the Isles, Scotland Richard Abbey (1805–1891), American Methodist minister Richard Baxter (1615–1691), English Puritan church leader, poet and hymn-writer Richard Beeard (1552–1578)), Tudor clergyman, poet, and hymn writer Richard of Dover (died 1184), Benedictine monk and Archbishop of Canterbury Richard Foxe (c. 1448 – 1528), Bishop of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham, and Winchester, Lord Privy Seal, and founder of Corpus Christi College, Oxford Richard Furman (1755–1825), American Baptist leader, first president of the Triennial Convention, the first nationwide Baptist association Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads (1467–1531), Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1511 to 1531 Richard of Poitiers (died c. 1174), French monk, author of historical works, treatises and poems Richard Poore (died 1237), Bishop of Salisbury and Durham, who helped found Salisbury Cathedral in its present location Richard Swinefield (died 1317), Bishop of Hereford
In politics and government Richard Acland (1906–1990), one of the founders of the British Common Wealth Party and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Richard B. Adkisson (1932–2011), chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court Richard Aluwihare (1895–1976), Sri Lankan diplomat Dick Armey (born 1940), American politician, member US House of Representatives from Texas (1985–2003) Richard Armitage (politician) (1945–2025), American government official, Deputy Secretary of State (2001–2005) Richard Arrington Jr. (born 1934), first African-American mayor of the city of Birmingham, Alabama R. B. Bennett (1870–1947), Canadian politician, Prime Minister of Canada (1930–1935) Richard Blumenthal (born 1946), American politician, US Senator from Connecticut (2010–present) Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington (1612–1698), Lord High Treasurer of Ireland and a cavalier Richard Leslie Brohier (1892–1980), Sri Lankan Burgher land surveyor and author Richard Burchell (1943–2020), American politician Richard Burr (born 1955), American politician, US Senator from North Carolina (2005–present) Dick Cheney (1941-2025), American politician, Congressman from Wyoming (1979–1989), Secretary of Defense (1989–1993) and Vice President (2001–2009) Dick Clark (senator) (1928–2023), American politician, US Senator from Iowa (1973–1979) Richard Cotton (1923–2010), Western Australian politician, mayor of Fremantle from (1976–1978) Richard Court (born 1947), Australian politician, Premier of Western Australia (1993–2001) Richard J. Daley (1902–1976), American politician, Mayor of Chicago (1955–1976) Richard M. Daley (born 1942), American politician, Illinois state senator (1972–1980) and Mayor of Chicago (1989–2011) Richard Dallam (1865–1939), American politician, Secretary State of Maryland (1896–1899) Richard Darman (1943–2008), American politician, White House Staff Secretary (1981–1985), Deputy Secretary of the Treasury (1985–1987) and OMB Director (1989–1993) Dick Durbin (born 1944), American politician, US senator from Illinois (1997–present), Democratic Senate Whip (2005–present)
Richard Grenville-Temple, 2nd Earl Temple (1711–1779), British politician and associate and brother-in-law of William Pitt Richard J. Gordon (born 1945), Filipino politician and broadcaster Richard Glück (born 1992), Slovak politician Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane, British nobleman and politician Richard Hatfield (1931–1991), Canadian politician, Premier of New Brunswick (1970–1987) Richard Helms (1913–2002), American government official, Director of Central Intelligence (1966–1973), US Ambassador to Iran (1973–1977) Junius Richard Jayewardene (1906–1996), President of Sri Lanka from 1978 to 1989 Richard Johnson (judge) (1937–2019), Irish jurist, President of the Irish High Court (2006–2009) Richard Jones, 1st Earl of Ranelagh (1641–1712), Irish peer, and politician both in the Parliaments of England and Ireland Richard Charles Kannangara (1920–1946), Sri Lankan Sinhala representative in the State Council of Ceylon for Morawaka Richard W. Kunkel (born 1934), American politician, member of the North Dakota House of Representatives (1991–1998) Richard LeVasseur, American politician Richard Lovell Edgeworth (1744–1817), Anglo-Irish politician, writer and inventor Richard Lugar (1932–2019), American politician, US Senator from Indiana (1977–2011) Richard Albert McKinley (1886–1951), Director of the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions Richard Mentor Johnson (1780–1850), American politician, US Congressman from Kentucky (1807–19 and 1829–33), US Senator from Kentucky (1819–1829) and Vice President (1837–41) Richard Morefield (1929–2010), American diplomat Dick Murphy (born 1942), American politician who served as the 33rd mayor of San Diego, California Richard L. Murphy (1875–1936), Democratic US Senator from Iowa Richard W. Murphy (born 1929), American diplomat and career member of the foreign service Richard Nixon (1913–1994), American politician, President of the United States (1969–1974) and Vice President (1953–1961) Richard Pathirana (1938–2008), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician and educationist Richard Pelpola (1898–1971), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Richard Perle (born 1941), American government official and foreign policy specialist, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs 1981–1987 Richard F. Pettigrew (1848–1926), American lawyer, surveyor, and land developer Richard Abusua-Yedom Quarshie, Ghanaian businessman and diplomat Richard Radl (1911-1977), American politician, member of the Iowa House of Representatives (1965-197) Richard Raši (born 1971), Slovak politician Richard Rush (1780–1859), American politician, US Attorney General (1814–1817) and Secretary of the Treasury (1825–1829) Richard "Rick" Santorum, American politician, attorney and political commentator Rick Scott (born 1952), American politician, US Senator from Florida (2019–present), Governor of Florida (2011–2019) Richard Seddon (1845–1906), New Zealand politician, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1893–1906) Richard Gotabhaya Senanayake (1911–1970), Sri Lankan Sinhala Cabinet Minister Richard Shelby (born 1934), American politician, US Senator from Alabama (1987–present) Richard Stockton (U.S. senator) (1764–1828), American politician, US Senator from New Jersey (1796–1799), Member of the US House of Representatives (1813–1815) Richard Henry Marthen Sualang (born 1973), Indonesian politician who has served as Deputy Mayor of Manado Richard Sulík (born 1968), Slovak politician Richard Takáč (born 1982), Slovak politician Dick Thornburgh (1932–2020), American politician, Governor of Pennsylvania (1979–1987) and US Attorney General (1988–1991) Richard Tötterman (1926–2020), Finnish diplomat Richard Udugama (1911–1995), major general, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army from 1964 to 1966, politician Richard von Weizsäcker (1920–2015), German politician, Governing Mayor of West Berlin (1981–1984) and President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1984–1994) Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley (1760–1842), Anglo-Irish Governor-General of India, Foreign Secretary in the British Cabinet and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland