Ralph
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.
Meaning & Origin of Ralph
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 →
The Story of Ralph
Ralph first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 317 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 8,860 Ralphs were born — ranking #23 that year. As of 2026, Ralph ranks #1,170 for baby boys with 177 births, gradually falling (-9%). In total, more than 414K Ralphs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Ralph
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ralph 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 Ralph
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About the name Ralph
Ralph is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 414K births in the dataset. Ralph's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #21. Use the chart and map above to compare Ralph's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- 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.