Boy · #1,783 in 2026

Wolf

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

Wolf is a given name and a surname. It is common among Germanic-speaking peoples, alongside variants such as Wulf. Names which translate to English "wolf" are also common among other nations, including many Native American peoples within the current or former extent of the habitat of the grey wolf.

Current Rank

#1,783

Peak Rank

#1,597 (2021)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+8%

1912

First Year

2026

Last Year

2021

Peak Year

#1597

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Wolf

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 Wolf

Wolf first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1912, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 107 Wolfs were born — ranking #1,597 that year. As of 2026, Wolf ranks #1,783 for baby boys with 93 births, gradually rising (+8%). In total, more than 2K Wolfs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Wolf

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

Wolfe
Wulf
Woolf
Wolff
Wulff
Wilf
Welf
Wlf
Walf
Wool
Wolve
Wooly

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Wolf

What does the name Wolf mean?

How popular is Wolf in 2026?

In 2026, Wolf ranks #1,783 among boys' names in the U.S., with 93 babies given the name that year.

When was Wolf most popular?

Wolf reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #1,597 that year with 107 babies given the name.

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

Wolf has historically been most popular in New York, Colorado, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Wolf.

Is Wolf a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Wolf?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Wolf include Kaydon, Albertus, Olden. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Wolf

Wolf is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Wolf's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #1,597. Use the chart and map above to compare Wolf'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.