Ricardo
A Germanic name meaning "brave ruler" that reached Poland by way of Spanish. Fewer than 900 men carry it here, so most Poles have never met one.
Ricardo Pronunciation
Ricardo is pronounced ree-TSAHR-do (/riˈt͡sardɔ/).
What Ricardo means
Where Ricardo comes from and what it has meant to the people who carry it.
Ricardo begins in Germanic soil, from a compound of ric, meaning "ruler" or "power," and hard, meaning "brave" or "strong." Put together, they give the short meaning that still follows the name: brave ruler, odważny władca.
Spanish speakers made the name their own. Ricardo is the Spanish form of the name that English keeps as Richard and Italian as Riccardo, all of them grown from the same Germanic root. The Germanic original was something like Ricohard. Across Spain and Latin America it stays a common given name. In Poland the cognate is Ryszard.
On a Polish form at the urząd, Ricardo stands out among the Ryszards, the Spanish spelling setting it apart. The root underneath does not change: a ruler, and a brave one.
How many people are named Ricardo
1 in 24508 men in Poland is named Ricardo. 871 people carry it in the 2025 register: rank #1013 among male names.
Ricardo's popularity over time
3 boys were given the name in 2025, ranking #1336 among newborns. It is making a comeback after a low in 2020. Still the #1013 name among living men, even as it slips to #1336 among newborns.
Where Ricardo is most popular
Ricardo is most popular in Masovian, 510% above the national average (2 boys born 2019–2025).
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Masovian2 boys born+510%
Ricardo as a middle name
Ricardo is a first name for 871 men in Poland and a middle name for another 354, a 71/29 split. In the men's middle-name ranking it sits 374th, between Francisco (356) and Brian (353).
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#372 Junior360
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#373 Francisco356
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#374 Ricardo354
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#375 Brian353
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#376 Sobiesław353