Rudolph
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).
- English
Meaning & Origin of Rudolph
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
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).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
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. The name hit its high-water mark in 1927: 1,690 births, good for #110 nationwide. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 23% of all recorded Rudolphs. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #3,679 among baby boy names 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
Variants & Related Forms of Rudolph
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Rudolph. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
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.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rudolph
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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
- Top names of 1927 →
- 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.