There have been several notable men named Richard Parker:

• Richard Parker (Representative), (1810-1893), American judge and Congressman from Virginia
• Richard Parker (economist), American economist and member of "The Nation" Editorial Board
• Richard Parker (British sailor), a British sailor and leader of the Nore Mutiny.
• Richard Parker (special effects), a British special effects person
• Richard A. Parker, mathematician.
• Richard Bordeaux Parker (born 1923), American diplomat and ambassador
• Richard E. Parker (1783-1840), American jurist, U.S. Senator for Virginia
• Richard Parker (cannibalism) (18??-1884), Victim of famous cannibalism case which changed English Lawbooks concerning murder. See also the strange coincidence with a fictional Richard Parker in the short story The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket.
• Richard Parker (sex offender), one of the men convicted alongside Bert Potter in the Centrepoint sex commune scandal in Albany, New Zealand.
• Richard Parker (mayor), Australian mayor (Geelong)

Fictional characters include:

• Richard Parker (tiger) is a fictional tiger from the novel Life of Pi, named after multiple real and fictional Richard Parkers.
• Richard "Ray" Parker is the fictional father of Peter Parker, the alter-ego of Spider-Man.