Richie – Origin and Meaning of the Name

The name Richie (pronounced ri-chie) originated during the 9th Century and came from the famous religious figure Alrich who was in his own time better known as Aldric of Le Mans. He was a high ranking bishop in the Roman Catholic church in Le Mans France (a region bordering the Sarthe River) serving under the reign of Louis the Pious and Charlemagne.

The name also comes from the Old German name Richard (originally pronounced Ri-card).

The meaning of Richie is usually translated as Powerful Leader or Old and Powerful Leader. In either variant it is a very positive and masculine name.

Popularity

Richie was the 490th most popular baby boys’s name in Scotland in 2013 (latest stats from the  Scottish government)

In the United States of America the name Richie (as well as it’s variants such as Rick, Richard, Dick and so on) is a very popular first name for males ranking in many polls just below the top 1000 most popular names mark.

In the USA during the 60s the popularity of Richie reached it’s zenith with the name being polled as the 633nd most popular male first name in the country.

Famous People Bearing the Name

• Richie McCaw – the New Zealand rugby international and captain
• Richey Edwards – the Welsh Musician from the band Manic Street Preachers
• Richie Sambora – American rock guitarist from the band Bon Jovi