Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Ricardo

Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Richard. Richard is a name that was introduced to England in the 11th century by way of the French Normans (where it was first adopted as Rycharde in Middle English). Richard/Ricardo is Germanic in origin, derived from the nearly synonymous elements “rīc” meaning “ruler (powerful)” and “hard” meaning “strong, hardy, brave”. The name was probably introduced to the Iberian Peninsula by way of Germanic (Visigothic) invaders and settlers. With an etymology like “powerful, brave” it’s no wonder people of different ethnic groups would find it appealing. The name eventually developed into Ricardo in the Spanish and Portuguese tongues (Riccardo in Italian). Rico is the common pet form.

All About the Baby Name – Ricardo

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME RICARDO

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME RICARDO

Ricardo first appeared sporadically on the U.S. Top 1000 list of baby boy’s names starting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As the Hispanic-American population has grown significantly, so too has the usage of Ricardo. Never a Top 100 name, Ricardo came awfully close in 1992 when he was ranked #115 nationwide. As far as Spanish names in America are concerned, this one is quite popular. The only other Spanish masculine names we see with higher rankings today are: Ángel, José, Xavier, Luis, Juan, Carlos, Jesús, Diego, Santiago, Miguel, Mateo, Alejandro, Jorge, Eduardo, Cristian and Francisco. Ricardo is a winner.

Quick Facts

ON RICARDO

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Spanish

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

254

PRONUNCIATION:

ree-KAHR-doh

SIMPLE MEANING:

Hardy/Powerful Leader

Characteristics

OF RICARDO

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Ricardo

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME RICARDO

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Ricardo

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME RICARDO

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Ricardo


Popular Songs

ON RICARDO

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Ricardo


Famous People

NAMED RICARDO

Ricardo Montalbán (Mexican actor)
Ricardo Mello (Bazilian tennis player)
Ricardo Hocevar (Brazilian tennis player)
Ricardo Arjona (Guatemalan singer)
Ricardo Zonta (Brazilian racecar driver)
Ricardo Lagos (former President of Chile)
Ricardo Montaner (Venezuelan singer)
Ricardo Carvalho (Portuguese footballer)
Ricardo Cortez (American actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED RICARDO

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Ricardo

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME RICARDO

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Ricardo