Total births
304
Boys' name · since 1920
Ralf
Ralf has 304 recorded births since 1920 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1963 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #12519
- among boys today
- 304
- born since 1920
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
Ralf currently ranks #12519 among boys' names in America, with 304 babies recorded since 1920.
Ralf has 304 recorded births among boys since 1920, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12519 as of the latest data, more common than 12% of boys, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 2024.
- #12519 among boys today
- 304 born since 1920
- 1960s peak decade
- 12% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ralf is currently the #12519 boys' name in America, more common than 12% of boys - 304 born since 1920, peaking in the 1960s.
- #12519
- among boys today
- 304
- born since 1920
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other boys
Ralf vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12519
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 12% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Ralf was born in this single decade.
1963
Single peak year
19 babies were named Ralf in 1963 - its busiest year on record.
How Ralf compares
304 46th percentile among 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ralf's all-time total is 17% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ralf | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 304 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 19 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ralf's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ralf's full recorded timeline at 1960, 53% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 47% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1921, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1963 peak of 19 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ralf at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1963
Current rank
#12,519
Active since
1920
Ralf popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–2024
- Peak year (1963)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 105 years of records
Ralf by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Ralf's strongest decade.
102 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Ralf births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s
1920s
53 births
- 1930s 24
1930s
24 births
- 1940s 12
1940s
12 births
- 1950s
1950s
55 births
- 1960s
1960s
102 births
- 1970s 38
1970s
38 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 102 births (34% of all-time use).
Ralf by state
Where Ralf concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 7 | 2.3% |
New York share of Ralf's total US births 2.3%
7 of 304 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ralf? ▼
Since 1920, Social Security records show 304 babies named Ralf. Today it holds rank #12519 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1963, with 19 births.
When was Ralf most popular? ▼
Ralf was most popular in the 1960s decade with 102 total births. The single peak year was 1963.
Where is Ralf most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ralf are New York (7 births).
How long has the name Ralf been used? ▼
Records for Ralf go back to 1920, giving 105 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Ralf? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ralph, Raleigh, Ralston, Ralphael, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ralf's data
- Ralf's decade-level peak was the 1960s (102 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ralfs (7 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ralf
Nearby Names Like Ralf
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ralf
Ralph Boy
#1145 414,018 births
Raleigh Boy
#2262 9,279 births
Ralston Boy
#9040 931 births
Ralphael Boy
439 births
Raliegh Boy
264 births
Compare Ralf side by side: Ralf vs Ralph Ralf vs Raleigh Ralf vs Ralston
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ralf
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1920–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ralf: #12519 Boys' Name - 304 Births, Peak 1963." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ralf. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Ralf 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 June 2026.