Boys' name · since 1880

Adolf

Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 1,394 babies named Adolf, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#4,163 of 45,481
all-time among boys
1,394
born since 1880
1920s
peak decade

Adolf sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 1,394 recorded since 1880.

Adolf has 1,394 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 1990.

  • #4,163 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 1,394 born since 1880
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Adolf ranks #4,163 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,394 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.

#4,163 of 45,481
all-time among boys
1,394
born since 1880
1920s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Adolf's 1,394 recorded births place it above 90.84% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

9 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

9 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.

Adolf's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Adolf's full recorded timeline at 1933, 31% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 69% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1882, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 56 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Adolf popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1990

Last recorded 1990
Peak year (1918)
56
Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
0204060 188019001912192319341947195919711990 5

Adolf by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (393 births, 28% of the file).

1920s was Adolf's strongest decade.

393 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.

Adolf births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 393 births (28% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Adolf compares to similarly-sized names

Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Adolf's total volume

Adolf vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15%20%25% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -54, 4.2%-120, 3.5%-55, 4.8%-55, 7%-52, 5%-106, 2.7%-52, 11.6%-23, 8.7%-146, 2.7%-39, 11.2%-113, 22.3%-43, 12.1%-29, 5.6%-37, 6%-144, 2.9%Adolf-111, 4%Adolf
Adolf vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Adolf by state

Where Adolf concentrates geographically, total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Adolf
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 New York
168 12.1%
#2 Texas
69 4.9%
#3 Illinois
20 1.4%
#4 New Jersey
18 1.3%
#5 Massachusetts
17 1.2%
#6 Pennsylvania
8 0.6%
#7 Connecticut
6 0.4%
#8 Michigan
6 0.4%
New York share of Adolf's total US births 12.1%
Even split

168 of 1,394 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.

Adolf appears in 9 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Adolf?
Adolf has been given to 1,394 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #4,163 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 1990. 56 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
Where does Adolf sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Adolf ranks #4,163 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Adolf most popular?
Adolf was most popular in the 1920s decade with 393 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Adolf most popular?
The top states for the name Adolf are New York (168 births), Texas (69 births), Illinois (20 births).
How long has the name Adolf been used?
Adolf has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 111 years of data through 1990.
What names are similar to Adolf?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Adonis, Adolph, Adolfo, Adolphus, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Adolf's data

  • Adolf's decade-level peak was the 1920s (393 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • New York records the most Adolfs (168 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Adolf

Nearby Names Like Adolf

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Adolf

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Adolf: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–1990 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Adolf draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.