Rufus
Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Rufus
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Rufus
Rufus first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 163 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1922, when 737 Rufuss were born — ranking #188 that year. As of 2026, Rufus ranks #4,400 for baby boys with 24 births, falling sharply (-16%). In total, more than 36K Rufuss 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 Rufus
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rufus is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Rufous
- Reface
- Raphus
- Roofs
- Roofless
- Roofies
- Rufa
- Reefs
- Orifice
- Roofie
- Riffs
- Preface
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rufus
What does the name Rufus mean?
How popular is Rufus in 2026?
When was Rufus most popular?
In which U.S. states is Rufus most popular?
Is Rufus a unisex name?
What names go well with Rufus?
About the name Rufus
Rufus is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 36K births in the dataset. Rufus's peak popularity came in 1922 when it ranked #88. Use the chart and map above to compare Rufus's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1922 →
- 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.