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.
- #10,498 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 304
- born since 1920
- 1960s
- peak decade
304 boys have been named Ralf since 1920, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Ralf has 304 recorded births among boys since 1920, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, 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.
- #10,498 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 304 born since 1920
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ralf ranks #10,498 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 304 born since 1920, peaking in the 1960s.
- #10,498 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 304
- born since 1920
- 1960s
- peak decade
Ralf's 304 recorded births place it above 76.9% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by New York.
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 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
1960s is the heaviest window (102 births, 34% of the file).
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% |
7 of 304 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ralf? ▼
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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
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
Compare Ralf side by side: Ralf vs Ralph Ralf vs Raleigh Ralf vs Ralston
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ralf: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1963)
Similar record span (~104 yrs)
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, 1920–2024 (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 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 August 2026.