Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic *rīk- 'ruler, leader, king' and *hardu- 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong in rule'. Nicknames include "Richie", "Dick", "Dickon", "Dickie", "Rich", "Rick", "Rico", "Ricky", and more. Richard is a common English, German and French male name. It's also used in many more languages, particularly Germanic, such as Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Icelandic, and Dutch, as well as other languages including Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Finnish. Richard is cognate with variants of the name in other European languages, such as the Swedish "Rickard", the Catalan "Ricard" and the Italian "Riccardo", among others (see comprehensive variant list below). People named Richard Multiple people with the same name Richard Andersen (disambiguation) Richard Anderson (disambiguation) Richard Cartwright (disambiguation) Richard Chase (disambiguation) Richard Green (disambiguation) Richard Greene (disambiguation) Richard Griffith (disambiguation) Richard Griffiths (disambiguation) Richard Marks (disambiguation) Richard Rodgers (disambiguation) Richard Rogers (disambiguation) Richard Walsh (disambiguation) Richard Welch (disambiguation) Richard Wilkins (disambiguation) Richard Wilson (disambiguation) Rulers and heads of state Richard, Duke of Burgundy (858–921) Richard I of Normandy (933–996), Duke of Normandy Richard II, Duke of Normandy (died 1026), son of Richard I of Normandy Richard I of Capua (died 1078), King of Capua and Count of Aversa Richard I of England or Richard the Lionheart (1157–1199) Richard of Cornwall (1209–1272), 1st Earl of Cornwall, elected King of Germany Richard II of England (1367–1400) Richard III of England (1452–1485) Richard Cromwell (1626–1712), son and successor of Oliver Cromwell, Protector of England Aristocrats and non-ruling royals Richard fitz Gilbert (before 1035 – c. 1090), Norman lord involved in the conquest of England Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester (1222–1262) Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster (1259–1326) Richard Orsini (died 1304), Count Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, Count of Gravina, Bailli of Achaea Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1400–1460), Yorkist leader in the Wars of the Roses Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York (1411–1460), a principal participant in the Wars of the Roses Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (1428–1471), wealthy English magnate and major protagonist in the Wars of the Roses Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York (1473 – c. 1483), who would have been King Richard IV of England if