UK name, mostly boys
Ricki
A diminutive name derived from the Germanic name Richard, meaning "powerful ruler".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2007. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 43 girls.
Ricki is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Ricki popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2007 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3589, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 16 births.
This profile covers 60 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 1996 to 2007. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 25% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 85 living people in the UK are called Ricki. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2008 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Ricki ranked #3589 for boys in England and Wales in 2007, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 16 boys were registered as Ricki.
- • Ricki ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #380 in 1995.
- • Ricki is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 85 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ricki as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 58.3% of Ricki registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3589
2007
Births in 2007
4
Latest year
Peak year
1996
16 births
Estimated living
85
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Ricki
In England and Wales birth records, Ricki has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 58.3% of registrations are for boys and 41.7% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Ricki registered for boys
- Ranked #3,589 in 2007
- 4 boys registered in 2007
- Peak: 1996 (16 births)
Ricki registered for girls
- Ranked #3,912 in 2000
- 3 girls registered in 2000
- Peak: 1997 (16 births)
Meaning
What does Ricki mean?
The name Ricki is a diminutive form of the masculine name Richard, which originated from the Germanic elements ric (meaning "ruler" or "power") and hard ("brave" or "hardy"). It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest in 1066, with Richard I "the Lionheart" being one of the most famous bearers of the name.
In the 12th century, the name Richard appeared in various literary works, such as the Roman de Renart, a collection of satirical fables in Old French. The name's popularity spread across Europe during the Middle Ages, with many rulers and nobility bearing the name, including Richard II of England (1367-1400) and Richard III (1452-1485).
The diminutive form Ricki emerged as a nickname for Richard, particularly in English-speaking countries. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Ricki is Ricki Rendich, an English poet and writer who lived in the late 16th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ricki, including:
1. Ricki Lake (born 1968), an American actress and television host best known for her talk show "Ricki Lake." 2. Ricki Herbert (born 1961), a former New Zealand football player and coach who led the national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. 3. Ricki Pamies (born 1956), an American author and educator known for her work on multicultural literature and diversity. 4. Ricki Lander (born 1944), a former American professional tennis player who won several Grand Slam doubles titles in the 1960s. 5. Ricki Friedman (1951-2022), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Ricki Friedman Foundation to support various charitable causes.
While the name Ricki has its roots in the Germanic language, it has been embraced and adapted across various cultures and regions, becoming a popular diminutive form of the name Richard.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ricki over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Ricki in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2007. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Ricki, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2007, compared with 16 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ricki by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ricki was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3050 | 18 | 5 |
| 1990s | #1425 | 42 | 4 |
Geography
Where Ricki is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ricki. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Ricki ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #380 in 1995.
Across the UK
Ricki in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#380 in 1995
7 years of NRS records, 26 total registered
Related
Names similar to Ricki
- Ryan 68,692
- Riley 37,992
- Robert 27,462
- Reuben 25,122
- Rhys 24,418
- Reece 24,329
- Rory 21,870
- Roman 16,609
- Ronnie 16,445
- Reggie 14,684
- Rowan 14,371
- Ralph 8,892
FAQ
Ricki: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ricki in the UK right now?
In 2007, Ricki was ranked #3589 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Ricki most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 16 babies registered as Ricki in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ricki?
A diminutive name derived from the Germanic name Richard, meaning "powerful ruler".
How many people are called Ricki in the UK?
A total of 60 babies have been registered as Ricki across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 26 more in Scotland.
Where is Ricki most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Ricki ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #380 in 1995. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.