Ralf
Ralph is a male name of English origin, derived from the Old English Rædwulf and Old High German Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse Raðulfr.
- German
- Swedish
- Danish
- English
Meaning & Origin of Ralf
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ralph is a male name of English origin, derived from the Old English Rædwulf and Old High German Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse Raðulfr.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- German
- Swedish
- Danish
- English
The Story of Ralf
The earliest SSA record of Ralf as a baby boy name dates back to 1920, when 8 babies received it. 1963 was its biggest year on record, with 19 newborns named Ralf — #1,839 in the national rankings. About 34% of every Ralf on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. Ralf last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 304 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Ralf
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Ralf. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Ralf
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ralf is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ralf
What does the name Ralf mean?
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How popular is Ralf in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Ralf most popular?
Is Ralf a unisex name?
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About the name Ralf
Ralf is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1920 and has accumulated 304 births in the dataset. Ralf's peak popularity came in 1963 when it ranked #1,839. Use the chart and map above to compare Ralf's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1963 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.