Dick
Dick was not among the names given to 5 or more boys in 2025. Its best year was 1934, when it ranked 138th with 1,131 babies. More babies were named Dick in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Richard · English, Germanic
Say it DIK /dɪk/
- Rank in 2025
- Not rankedboys
- Babies in 2025
- 0boys
- Girls and boys
- No babies recorded in the last five years2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19341,131 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,321babies recorded
What does the name Dick mean?
Dick is a medieval English pet form of Richard, made by rhyming on Rick. DMNES records Dik and Dicon among English pet forms of Richard in 1379. Richard itself is Germanic, from rīc, "ruler", and hard, "strong, brave". Dick was used as a full name and was most common in the US in the 1930s and 1940s; it has since fallen out of use.
rīh (Old High German, “ruler”)hart (Old High German, “strong, hard”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Richard, Rick, Rich, Dickie.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean strength, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Dick', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Richard', DMNES (Durham University)
Dick popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 48 since 1912.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — |
| 2010 | — | — |
| 2000 | #9,411 | 6 |
| 1990 | #5,094 | 10 |
| 1980 | #2,464 | 20 |
| 1970 | #1,143 | 52 |
| 1960 | #573 | 186 |
| 1950 | #411 | 269 |
| 1940 | #171 | 911 |
| 1930 | #161 | 940 |
| 1920 | #321 | 329 |
| 1910 | #355 | 52 |
| 1900 | #315 | 45 |
| 1890 | #313 | 31 |
| 1880 | #341 | 25 |
How popular is Dick, counting every spelling?
Dick has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How old are people named Dick?
About 7,100 people born in the US named Dick are alive today, with a median age of 79; half are between 69 and 85. That makes Dick a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Dick by state
How common Dick was among boys born in each state in 1932–1936, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (6.1×), Washington (5.4×), Idaho (5.3×), Montana (4.9×), Nebraska (4.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Alabama, Massachusetts, Georgia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Dick: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Dick, they share its era and feel.
Dick is also a nickname for Richard.
Questions about the name Dick
What does Dick mean?
Dick means “pet form of Richard” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Dick?
Dick was not among the names given to 5 or more boys in 2025. Its best year was 1934, when it ranked 138th with 1,131 babies. More babies were named Dick in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Dick a boy or girl name?
No babies were given the name in 2021–2025. Historically it was given to 48 girls and 29,273 boys.
Where was Dick most popular?
In 1932–1936, Dick was most common in Oregon (6.41 per 1,000 boys), followed by Washington and Idaho.