Ricky first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Ricky has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Ricky

A masculine diminutive of the name Richard, derived from the Germanic elements "ric" meaning powerful and "hard" meaning hardy, strong.

Popularity of Ricky by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Ricky is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Ricky being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 269 male babies and 7 female babies born with the name Ricky.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 7 baby girls were named Ricky in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 269 7
2022 292 12
2021 323 0
2020 366 11
2019 401 9
2018 369 10
2017 365 12
2016 448 8
2015 476 8
2014 540 0
2013 549 0
2012 592 0
2011 589 6
2010 595 7
2009 699 10
2008 851 7
2007 821 9
2006 760 7
2005 769 0
2004 786 18
2003 799 0
2002 802 9
2001 858 7
2000 1,024 11
1999 1,098 11
1998 970 12
1997 1,076 5
1996 1,197 16
1995 1,227 16
1994 1,412 18
1993 1,441 10
1992 1,621 12
1991 1,617 14
1990 1,759 14
1989 1,897 20
1988 1,884 22
1987 1,855 21
1986 1,956 18
1985 1,933 27
1984 1,981 24
1983 2,083 31
1982 2,120 27
1981 2,221 25
1980 2,236 25
1979 2,225 20
1978 2,018 19
1977 1,958 14
1976 1,993 25
1975 1,918 31
1974 2,034 38

The history of the first name Ricky

The name Ricky is a diminutive form of the name Richard, which has its origins in the Germanic languages. The name Richard is derived from the elements "ric" meaning power or rule, and "hard" meaning brave or hardy. It was popular among the Frankish nobility during the medieval period.

In the 8th century, the name was recorded in the form "Ricardus" in the Codex Diplomaticus. It gained widespread popularity after Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart, became a legendary figure during the Crusades in the late 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Ricky was Ricky Stratton, an English clergyman who lived in the 15th century. He was the Dean of Windsor from 1467 to 1480.

In the 16th century, Ricky Tarleton was an English actor and comedian who performed in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. He was known for his improvisational skills and comedic talents.

During the 18th century, Ricky Gough was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy. He was involved in several battles during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 19th century, Ricky Atchison was an Australian cricketer who played for the New South Wales colonial team. He was a right-handed batsman and a skilled wicket-keeper.

Ricky Nelson, born Eric Hilliard Nelson in 1940, was an American singer, actor, and musician. He gained fame as a teenage idol and was part of the popular family television series "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." Ricky Nelson's hit songs include "Poor Little Fool" and "Travelin' Man."

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 Ricky was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ricky first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/ricky-meaning-and-history/.

"Ricky first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/ricky-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

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

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