Boy · #10,889 in 2026

Rifton

Rifton is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 481 at the 2020 census.

Current Rank
#10,889
Peak Rank
#10,812 (2023)
Total Babies
12
5-Yr Trend
Stable
2023
First Year
2024
Last Year
2023
Peak Year
#10812
Peak Rank
12
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Rifton

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Rifton is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 481 at the 2020 census.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
Rifton had its beginnings as a smattering of several hamlets and communities. Dashville hamlet was the first of the hamlets to be settled. By 1824, several mills had been built along the Wallkill by Ezekiel Eltinge. In 1861, Jeremiah W. Dimick bought the mill in Arnoldton and renamed the community Rifton Glen. Swartekill hamlet was so named because of its location on the Swartekill Creek where it meets the Wallkill; Dutch "swartekill" means "black river" in English. The hamlet was home to powder mills as early as 1865. Rifton was incorporated as a village on May 20, 1901, encompassing what had

The Story of Rifton

Rifton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2023, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 6 Riftons were born — ranking #10,812 that year. As of 2026, Rifton ranks #10,889 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 12 Riftons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2020s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Names that sound like Rifton

Phonetically similar names — useful when Rifton is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Roughton
  • Rifting
  • Written
  • Ryton
  • Riffian
  • Rafting
  • Roughen
  • Rutten
  • Retine
  • Ruttan
  • Retten
  • Ritin

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rifton

What does the name Rifton mean?
Rifton is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 481 at the 2020 census.
How popular is Rifton in 2026?
In 2026, Rifton ranks #10,889 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Rifton most popular?
Rifton reached its peak popularity in 2023, ranking #10,812 that year with 6 babies given the name.
Is Rifton a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Rifton is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Rifton?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rifton include Cager, Elario, Leavitt. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Cager
Peak #10812
👦
Elario
Peak #10812
👦
Leavitt
Peak #10812
👦
Gallagher
Peak #10812
👦
Dairen
Peak #10812
👦
Ravy
Peak #10812
👦
Orbelin
Peak #10812
👦
Aleksandre
Peak #10812

About the name Rifton

Rifton is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2023 and has accumulated 12 births in the dataset. Rifton's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #10,812. Use the chart and map above to compare Rifton's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.