Richetta
A feminine name deriving from Germanic origins, meaning "powerful ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 157 living Americans carry the first name Richetta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Richetta today is around 61 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Richetta births was 1953 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Richetta. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
157
~ 1 in 2,183,149 Americans
Peak year
1953
11 babies that year
Average age
61
years old
1986 SSA rank
#10,553
Tracked since 1932
Popularity
Richetta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Richetta from the 1930s through to the 1980s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 56 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1960s peak, Richetta remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Richetta by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Richetta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Richetta
The given name Richetta has its origins in the Germanic language group, derived from the elements "ric" meaning "powerful" or "ruler" and "haid" meaning "kind" or "sort." It emerged during the Middle Ages, primarily in regions where Germanic influences prevailed, such as parts of modern-day Germany, France, and Italy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Richetta can be found in the Annales Sancti Blasii, a medieval chronicle written in the 12th century, where it is mentioned in reference to a noblewoman from the region of Saxony. The name's connection to Germanic nobility and ruling classes is further evidenced by its appearance in various historical documents and records from the 11th to 14th centuries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Richetta. In the 12th century, Richetta of Normandy (c. 1090 - c. 1153) was a powerful Norman noblewoman and heiress who played a significant role in the political affairs of medieval England and France. Another prominent figure was Richetta of Montferrat (c. 1135 - c. 1198), a member of the influential Aleramici dynasty and the wife of William V of Montferrat, a key figure in the Third Crusade.
In the 13th century, Richetta of Biandrate (c. 1210 - c. 1262) was a influential countess who ruled over the County of Biandrate in northern Italy. Her contemporary, Richetta of Saluzzo (c. 1220 - c. 1292), was a prominent noblewoman from the House of Saluzzo and played a significant role in the political affairs of the region.
Moving into the 14th century, Richetta of Camino (c. 1320 - c. 1390) was a notable Italian noblewoman and the last member of the prestigious Camino family to rule the signoria of Treviso in what is now northeastern Italy.
While the name Richetta has its roots in the Germanic language and was particularly prevalent among noble and ruling classes during the Middle Ages, it has since become less common in modern times, although variations and diminutives of the name continue to be used in some regions.
People
Richetta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Richetta as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Richetta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Richetta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 157 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Richetta going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,183,149 US residents.
Is Richetta a common name?
We classify Richetta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 212 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Richetta most popular?
The single biggest year for Richetta was 1953, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Richetta is about 61 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Richetta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Richetta in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.