Boy name · Germanic
Ricardo
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: brave rulerRicardo is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "brave ruler". It is used in Spanish and Portuguese.
- Meaning
- Brave ruler
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ree-KAR-doh (Spanish)
Meaning and origin of Ricardo
As a boy's name, Ricardo comes from Germanic and means "brave ruler". It is used in Spanish and Portuguese.
In Spanish, say ree-KAR-doh. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Ricardo on our names that mean strong list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Ricardo on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ricardo on 1 list.
“Brave ruler; Germanic. Say ree-KAR-doh”
From Mexican boy names, classic Mexican male names
How popular is Ricardo?
- US rank in 2025
- #380
- 833 babies, 488 per million boys
- Best rank
- #115 in 1992
- Most babies: 3,044 in 1998
- Babies since 1888
- At least 146,456
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 5 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 6 per million |
| 1900s | 45 per million |
| 1910s | 49 per million |
| 1920s | 106 per million |
| 1930s | 169 per million |
| 1940s | 204 per million |
| 1950s | 510 per million |
| 1960s | 683 per million |
| 1970s | 1,069 per million |
| 1980s | 1,251 per million |
| 1990s | 1,505 per million |
| 2000s | 1,362 per million |
| 2010s | 741 per million |
| 2020s | 522 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #281 | #302 | #306 | #329 | #339 | #345 | #357 | #372 | #373 | #380 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Ricardo
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- RiccardoBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
- RichardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
- RisteárdBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
- RyszardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- ErikEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AndreaManly, brave (Greek, girl)
- AndreasManly, brave (Greek, boy)
- BahadurBrave, valiant (Turkic, boy)
- BernadetteBrave bear (Germanic, girl)
- BernardBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- BernardoBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- GerardBrave spear (Germanic, boy)
- GerhardBrave spear (Germanic, boy)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- AnderManly, brave (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Ricardo
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- BaldwinBold friend (Germanic, boy)
- CarlFree man (Germanic, boy)
- CharlieFree man (Germanic, unisex)
- EnzoItalian name, from Heinz, a form of Henry; popular in France (Germanic, boy)
- ErnestSerious, earnest (Germanic, boy)
- FrankOne of the Franks (Germanic, boy)
- HermanArmy man, soldier (Germanic, boy)
- HubertBright heart (Germanic, boy)
- HughHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
Ricardo: common questions
What does the name Ricardo mean?
Ricardo comes from Germanic and means "brave ruler".
Is Ricardo a boy or girl name?
Ricardo is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Ricardo come from?
Ricardo comes from Germanic and means "brave ruler". Today it is used in Spanish and Portuguese.
How do you pronounce Ricardo?
In Spanish, say ree-KAR-doh. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Ricardo?
Ricardo ranked #380 in the US in 2025, with 833 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Ricardo?
Forms of Ricardo with the same meaning and origin include Riccardo (Italian), Richard (English), Risteárd (Irish) and Ryszard (Polish).
What middle names go with Ricardo?
Middle names that flow well with Ricardo include Chase, Grant, John, Lance and Lane. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.