Dick (nickname)

Dick is a nickname most often for Richard which likely originated in the Middle Ages as rhyming slang for "Rick", as did William->Will->Bill and Robert->Rob->Bob. The modern association with "penis" is more recent, arising from Dick becoming a cliché name for any man, as in Tom, Dick and Harry. Occasionally it was given as a nickname for other proper names as well, but has generally fallen out of favor except for comic intent.

Notable people

• Dick Gregory (1932–2017), American civil rights activist and comedian

Business

• Richard S. Fuld Jr. (born 1946), American banker best known as the final Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lehman Brothers
• Dick Smith (entrepreneur), Australian businessman
• Dick Teague (1923–1991), American industrial designer

Crime

• Richard Hickock (1931—1965), one of the murderers of the Clutter family, the subject of the book and film "In Cold Blood"
• Dick Turpin (1705–1739), English highwayman executed for horse theft

Entertainment

• Dick Cavett (born 1936), American television talk show host
• Dick Clark (1929–2012), American radio and television personality
• Dick Contino (1930–2017), American accordionist
• Dick Dale (1937—2019), American musician known as "King of the Surf Guitar"
• Dick Jensen (1942—2006), Musical performer
• Richard McCourt (born 1976), TV presenter and comedian known for Dick and Dom
• Dick Maitland (born 1942), American sound effects editor and voice actor
• Dick Powell (1930–1963), American actor and musician
• Dick Sargent (1930–1994), American actor
• Dick Shawn (1923–1987), American actor and comedian
• Dick Smothers (born 1939), one of the American folk singer-comedian Smothers Brothers
• Dick Van Dyke (born 1925), American actor, comedian, writer and producer
• Dick Van Patten (1928–2015), American actor
• Dick York (1928–1992), American actor

Military

• Frederick Ashworth (1912–2005), United States Navy officer
• Richard Joseph Audet (1922–1945), Canadian fighter pilot ace during World War II
• Richard Halsey Dick Best (1910-2001) Former commanding officer of Enterprise bombing squadron 6, hit 2 carriers in the battle of midway
• Richard Marcinko (born 1940), former United States Navy officer and retired Navy SEAL
• Richard Winters (1918–2011), officer of the United States Army and decorated war veteran

Politics

• Dick Armey (born 1940), American politician and member of US House of Representatives from Texas (1985–2003)
• Dick Cheney (born 1941), American politician who served as the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009
• Dick Clark (senator) (born 1928), American politician and US Senator from Iowa (1973–1979)
• Dick Durbin (born 1944), American politician and US senator from Illinois serving as Senate Majority Whip
• Richard "Dick" Gordon (born 1945), Filipino politician and broadcaster
• Richard Lamm (1935–2021), American politician, writer, Certified Public Accountant, college professor, and lawyer
• Richard Lugar (1932–2019), American Senator who served from 1977 to 2013
• Richard Lyon (1923–2017), United States Navy admiral and former mayor of Oceanside, California
• Richard Nixon (1913—1994), 37th president of the United States
• Dick Thornburgh (1932–2020), American politician, Governor of Pennsylvania (1979–1987), and US Attorney General (1988–1991)

Sports

• Dick Advocaat (born 1947), Dutch football manager and former player
• Dick Ambrose (born 1953), former American football linebacker in the National Football League
• Dick Attlesey (1929–1984), American hurdler
• Dick Ault (1925–2007), American Olympian
• Dick Barber (1910–1983), American long jumper
• Dick Bavetta (born 1939), American retired professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association (NBA)
• Dick Butkus (born 1942), former American football player, sports commentator, and actor
• Dick Conger (1921–1970), American major league baseball pitcher
• Dick Cox (1897–1966), American baseball player
• Dick Davis (running back) (born 1946), American football player
• Dick Davis (defensive end) (born 1938), American football player
• Dick Deer Slayer, American football player
• Dick Enberg (1935–2017), American sportscaster
• Dick Fencl (1910–1972), American football player
• Dick Groat (born 1930), American baseball and basketball player
• Richard Head (footballer), Australian rules footballer
• Dick Hoblitzell (1888–1962), American Major League Baseball player
• Dick Ives (1926–1997), American basketball player
• Dick Johnson (footballer) (1895–1933), English footballer
• Dick Johnson (racing driver) (born 1945), Australian touring car driver and team owner
• Dick Johnson (rugby league) (1916–1984), Australian rugby league footballer
• Dick Johnson (sailor) (1923–2005), American sailor
• Dick Johnston (1863–1934), American baseball player
• Dick Johnston (journalist) (1919–2008), Canadian sportswriter
• Dick King (American football) (1895–1930), American football player
• Dick Murdoch (1946–1996), American professional wrestler
• Dick Pole (born 1950), American baseball player and coach
• Dick Pound (born 1942), Canadian swimming champion and first president of the World Anti-Doping Agency
• Dick Reynolds (1915–2002), Australian rules footballer who represented Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL)
• Dick Ricketts (1933–1988), American basketball and baseball player
• Dick Rutkowski, diving medicine pioneer
• Dick Savitt (born 1927), American tennis player
• Dick Schweidler (1914–2010), American football player
• Dick Shikat (1897–1968), German professional wrestler and World Heavyweight Champion
• Dick Shiner (born 1942), American football player
• Dick Stanfel (1927–2015), American football player
• Dick Such (born 1944), American baseball player and coach
• Dick Tayler (born 1948), New Zealand long-distance runner
• Dick Trickle (1941–2013), American race car driver
• Dick Vermeil (born 1936), National Football League Coach
• Dick Vitale (born 1939), American basketball sportscaster
• Dick Wagner (baseball) (1927–2006), American baseball executive
• Dick Woodson (born 1945), American baseball player

Fictional characters

• Dick and Jane, main characters in a children's reading book series
• Dick Grayson, the name of Robin and other superheros in the DC Universe
• Dick Harper, one of the title characters in a 1977 film Fun with Dick and Jane that was remade in 2005
• Dick Loudon, the main character in the TV show Newhart
• Dick Solomon, the High Commander of the alien visitors in 3rd Rock from the Sun
• Dick Tracy, comic strip referencing another usage of dick as slang for detective
• Dick Whitman, the birth name of Donald Draper, the main character in Mad Men

See also

• Dickey, Dickie, Dicky

• All pages with titles beginning with Dick
• All pages with titles containing Dick