Ricardus

Ricardus is the Latin form of the given name Richard, used in Latin-language texts from late antiquity through the early modern period. In Latin, proper names were often Latinized, and Ricardus served as the standard form for speakers and rulers named Richard in medieval chronicles, hagiographies, and legal documents. The name ultimately derives from Old Germanic elements ric, meaning "ruler" or "power," and hard, meaning "brave" or "hardy," transmitted to the Latin world via the Norman conquest and ongoing Latin tradition. Some Latin writers also used Richardus, another common Latinized form, with choice often reflecting manuscript or regional conventions.

In usage, Ricardus appears in various sources without implying a single individual; many distinct figures are known only from Latin records where they are referred to as Ricardus, including bishops, knights, scholars, and clerics. Because Latinized names were common, identification usually requires context such as dates, titles, or associated places.

In onomastic terms, Ricardus shares its root with forms in other languages, including Richard in English, Ricardo in Spanish and Italian, and Rikhard in Swedish; the Latin form remains common in scholarly editions and philological discussions of medieval sources.

Notable examples of figures named Ricardus are varied and often distinguished in source material by epithet or office rather than by a single, widely recognized individual. The name’s continued use in Latinized form reflects broader historical practices of naming and Latinization in European scholarly and ecclesiastical contexts.