ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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No names found 

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1912

First Year

2026

Last Year

1986

Peak Year

#2144

Peak Rank

1K

Total Count

108

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Rudy

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

Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to:

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy)

📖

## The Story of Rudy

Rudy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1960, when 832 Rudys were born — ranking #278 that year. As of 2026, Rudy ranks #816 for baby boys with 310 births, gradually rising (+13%). In total, more than 50K Rudys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Rudy

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

* [Rudi](/rudi)
* [Rudie](/rudie)
* [Roody](/roody)
* Rhudy
* Ready
* [Rowdy](/rowdy)
* Roadie
* [Ruddy](/ruddy)
* [Roddy](/roddy)
* [Radi](/radi)
* Roady
* Rady

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Rudy

What does the name Rudy mean?

Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to:

How popular is Rudy in 2026?

In 2026, Rudy ranks #816 among boys' names in the U.S., with 310 babies given the name that year.

When was Rudy most popular?

Rudy reached its peak popularity in 1960, ranking #235 that year with 832 babies given the name.

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

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

Is Rudy a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Rudy?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rudy include Gunner, Zayn, Morgan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧LummiePeak #2144](/lummie)[👧BrittiePeak #2144](/brittie)[👧AdlenaPeak #2144](/adlena)[👧AlexinaPeak #2143](/alexina)[👧OctaPeak #2143](/octa)[👧EithelPeak #2143](/eithel)[👧ArunaPeak #2145](/aruna)[👧HudaPeak #2145](/huda)

## About the name Rudy 

Rudy is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 50K births in the dataset. Rudy's peak popularity came in 1960 when it ranked #235\. Use the chart and map above to compare Rudy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1960 → ](/year/1960)
* [ Names of the 1960s → ](/decade/1960s)
* [ Names starting with "R" → ](/letter/r)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.