Boy · #3,679 in 2026

Rudolph

Name: Popularity of the name Rudolph in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Rudolph, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Rudolph or Rudolf or Rodolphe is a male first name, and, less commonly, a surname. It is an ancient Germanic name deriving from two stems: Hrōþi, Hruod, Hróðr or Hrōð, meaning "fame", "glory" "honour", "renown", and olf meaning "wolf" (Hrōþiwulfaz).

Current Rank

#3,679

Peak Rank

#110 (1927)

Total Babies

53K

5-Yr Trend

-15%

1914

First Year

1974

Last Year

1928

Peak Year

#2094

Peak Rank

197

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Rudolph

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

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

The Story of Rudolph

Rudolph first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 54 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1927, when 1,690 Rudolphs were born — ranking #110 that year. As of 2026, Rudolph ranks #3,679 for baby boys with 31 births, gradually falling (-15%). In total, more than 53K Rudolphs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Rudolph

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

Rudolf
Rodolph
Rudel
Randolph
Rodolfo
Riddle
Readily
Rudely
Raddle
Riddel
Riddell
Ruddle

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rudolph

What does the name Rudolph mean?

How popular is Rudolph in 2026?

In 2026, Rudolph ranks #3,679 among boys' names in the U.S., with 31 babies given the name that year.

When was Rudolph most popular?

Rudolph reached its peak popularity in 1927, ranking #110 that year with 1,690 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Rudolph most popular?

Rudolph has historically been most popular in Wyoming, Arizona, Hawaii. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Rudolph.

Is Rudolph a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Rudolph is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Rudolph?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rudolph include Alonzo, Jess, Lorenzo. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Rudolph

Rudolph is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 53K births in the dataset. Rudolph's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #110. Use the chart and map above to compare Rudolph'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.