Rica
Feminine · Germanic roots · “ruler”
Rica can be cut from Erica, Frederica or Ulrica, and in Spanish it is also an everyday word: rica, 'rich,' as in Costa Rica. Both roads lead back to the same old Germanic word for a ruler.
How old is the name Rica?
Rica first appears in US birth records in 1914 — 111 years ago. The typical Rica alive today was born around 1983, making them about 42 years old. About 500 people named Rica are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Rica most popular?
Rica peaked in 1914, reaching #2638 nationally. See the whole 1914 chart.
Where it comes from
From ric (Germanic, 'ruler') to Rica
The story of Rica
Germanic names used ric, 'ruler, powerful,' as one of their commonest endings: Frederick, Eric, Ulric, Roderick. Feminine forms like Frederica and Ulrica passed it on, and Rica is what remains when the front is dropped. The Visigoths who ruled Spain until the Arab conquest left the word in Spanish too: Gothic reiks, 'ruler,' became rico, 'rich,' so Costa Rica, the rich coast, and a girl called Rica carry the same root.
Meaning
ruler, power (Germanic ric)
In Erica, Frederica and Ulrica the ending comes from the Germanic word for a ruler or for power. Spanish rico, rica, 'rich,' descends from the Gothic form of the same word, so the short name and the Spanish adjective are distant cousins.
How the name formed
- ricGermanic, 'ruler'
- Erica, Frederica, Ulrica
- Rica
Pronouncing Rica
REE-kuh
Two syllables, stress on the first.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1914
- Most girls named
- 199133 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2638reached in 1914
- Change vs 2011
- 0.0%5 in 2024, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Ricas among us
people named Rica are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Rica sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Short, two syllables, easy to say and spell.
- Works as a short form of Erica, Frederica or Ulrica, so it can sit inside a longer name.
- A real root stands behind it, shared with Eric and Frederick.
- In Spanish, rica means rich and also delicious, and in casual speech it is said of an attractive woman; Spanish speakers will notice.
- People will often assume it is short for Erica and spell accordingly.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Rica to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Rica? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Rica
Feminine · Germanic roots
Frequently asked
- How many Ricas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Rica are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Rica in 2025?
- Rica is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Rica with classmates?
- Rica will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More R names
The most-given names starting with R, all years combined.
Ruth#173 · Rebecca#349 · Rachel#250 · Rose#114 · Ruby#64 · Robin#704 · Rita#1285 · Rhonda#6116
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Rica? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Rica and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle