Ricky
Meaningbrave ruler · English form of Richard
- US rank
- #948
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #34 in 1959
248 babies were named Ricky in the US in 2025. It has dropped 252 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1927–2025
US births per million boys, 1925–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Ricky you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Ricky
Ricky Álvarez
Argentine association football player (born 1988)
Choose Ricky and your child shares a first name with Ricky Álvarez, an Argentine association football player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Ricky, like who?” Ricky Álvarez's Wikipedia article is available in 41 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Ricky Álvarez on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 6,887 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Ricky, 248 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Ricky would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryRicky first shows up in US birth records in 1925, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 100 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1959, when it ranked #34. Today it's #948, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowRicky was 3.6× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 1,916 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 6,887.
- TrendRicky has slipped 252 places over the last five years and now sits at #948. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedRicky is most popular in New Mexico, where it ranks #311, followed by California (#627) and Georgia (#673). It's in the top 1,000 in 13 states.
- MeaningRicky is an English form of Richard, which means “brave ruler”.
About the name Ricky
Ricky is a boy name of American origin meaning “brave ruler”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with R and ending in “-cky”. US birth records list Ricky for boys from 1925 to 2025, in 101 of those 101 years. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked #34 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #948, with 248 babies.
Origin:American names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 2.8 | 352,941 girls |
| 1930s | 2.2 | 458,716 girls |
| 1940s | 12 | 86,356 girls |
| 1950s | 24 | 40,917 girls |
| 1960s | 25 | 40,683 girls |
| 1970s | 16 | 64,350 girls |
| 1980s | 14 | 71,225 girls |
| 1990s | 7.1 | 140,647 girls |
| 2000s | 4.2 | 236,407 girls |
| 2010s | 3.5 | 289,017 girls |
| 2020s | 5.7 | 176,471 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 7.4 | 135,135 boys |
| 1930s | 17 | 57,471 boys |
| 1940s | 410 | 2,441 boys |
| 1950s | 3,829 | 261 boys |
| 1960s | 3,367 | 297 boys |
| 1970s | 1,330 | 752 boys |
| 1980s | 1,095 | 913 boys |
| 1990s | 686 | 1,458 boys |
| 2000s | 410 | 2,440 boys |
| 2010s | 262 | 3,823 boys |
| 2020s | 174 | 5,758 boys |
Other spellings of Ricky
More American boy names
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: Maverick · independent, unbranded
- Unisex name: Kai · sea
- Unisex name: Jace · healer
- Boy name: Jaxon · son of Jack
- Boy name: Milo · possibly gracious
- Boy name: Bryson · son of Brice
- Boy name: Louis · famous warrior
Questions about the name Ricky
What does the name Ricky mean?
Ricky means “brave ruler” in English, as a form of Richard.
What is the origin of the name Ricky?
Ricky has American roots in our records. Other American names include Henry, Maverick, Kai.
Is Ricky a boy or girl name?
Ricky is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Ricky?
Ricky ranked #948 for US boys in 2025, given to 248 babies. Its best year was 1959 (#34).