Rika
Feminine · “pear blossom”
Rika is a short, bright name that belongs to two traditions. In Japan it is an everyday girl's name, often written with the characters for pear blossom; in Scandinavia it is a short form of Fredrika and Ulrika.
How old is the name Rika?
Rika first appears in US birth records in 1959 — 66 years ago. The typical Rika alive today was born around 1991, making them about 34 years old. About 500 people named Rika are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Rika most popular?
Rika peaked in 1991, reaching #3207 nationally. See the whole 1991 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Rika
The pear blossom has a special place in East Asian poetry. In the Chinese poet Bai Juyi's Song of Everlasting Sorrow, the ghost of the beloved consort Yang Guifei appears with tears on her face like a branch of pear blossom in the spring rain, a line every Japanese and Chinese reader knows. Rika, written with those characters, carries the image. In northern Europe, the same four letters are what families call a Fredrika or an Ulrika, so the name reached America by two roads.
Meaningscholars disagree
pear blossom, in one Japanese writing
Japanese Rika can be written with many characters, among them those for pear blossom or for reason and fragrance. In Swedish and German use, Rika shortens Fredrika, Ulrika and Henrika. The spelling alone does not show which.
Pronouncing Rika
REE-kuh
Two syllables. In Japanese the syllables have nearly equal weight and the r is a light tap.
Nicknames for Rika
Limited
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
- 1959
- Most girls named
- 199134 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3207reached in 1991
- Change vs 2020
- 0.0%5 in 2023, 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.
Rika in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Rika in Japanese — same name
- Ulrika in Swedish — related form
- Friederike in German — related form
Rikas among us
people named Rika 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
Rika 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
- It is short, bright and easy to say.
- It has lovely meanings in two traditions.
- It is rare in America.
- People may write Rica or Reeka.
- Its meaning depends on which tradition and which characters a family intends.
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What they receive
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Rika
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Rikas 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 Rika are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Rika in 2025?
- Rika is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Rika with classmates?
- Rika 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 Rika? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Rika and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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