Ric first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Ric has been for the last 39 years (from 1974 to 2012) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Ric

Powerful leader or ruler, derived from the Germanic name Richard.

Popularity of Ric by gender

Based on the last 39 years of data, Ric is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2012, there were 8 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Ric.

Year Male Count Female Count
2012 8 0
2004 6 0
2003 8 0
2001 9 0
2000 6 0
1999 10 0
1998 9 0
1997 5 0
1996 7 0
1995 7 0
1994 11 0
1993 8 0
1992 8 0
1991 13 0
1990 9 0
1989 13 0
1988 34 0
1987 22 0
1986 19 0
1985 16 0
1984 16 0
1983 18 0
1982 7 0
1981 7 0
1980 14 0
1979 10 0
1978 13 0
1977 15 0
1976 13 0
1975 15 0
1974 16 0

The history of the first name Ric

The name Ric has its roots in the Germanic language family, tracing back to the Old Norse word "ríkr" or the Old English word "rīce," both meaning "powerful" or "ruler." This name was prevalent across various Germanic tribes and cultures during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Ric can be found in the Icelandic sagas, where it was used as a shortened form of names like Ríkarðr (Richard) or Hrólfr (Rodolf). These sagas, written in Old Norse, date back to the 13th and 14th centuries.

In England, the name Ric gained prominence after the Norman Conquest of 1066, as it was a common nickname for the French name Richard. Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199), was a famous English king who bore this name.

Another notable figure was Ric Petit, a 14th-century French architect who worked on the construction of the Louvre Palace in Paris. He was known for his innovative architectural techniques and designs.

During the Renaissance period, Ric became a popular name among Italian families. One example is Ric Lip, an Italian painter and architect from the 15th century, known for his frescoes in churches throughout Tuscany.

In the 16th century, Ric Bassee was a renowned Dutch cartographer and map-maker, whose detailed maps and atlases helped shape the understanding of geography during that era.

Moving to the 19th century, Ric Caldwell was an American pioneer and explorer who played a significant role in the westward expansion of the United States. He led expeditions and established settlements in the Rocky Mountain region.

While the name Ric has its origins in the Germanic language family, it has been adopted and used in various cultures throughout history, carrying with it a sense of power, authority, and leadership.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Ric was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ric, please contact us.

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"Ric first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 13, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/ric-meaning-and-history/.

"Ric first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/ric-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 13 May, 2025

Ric first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/ric-meaning-and-history/.

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