Total births
414,018
Boys' name · since 1880
Ralph
414,018 babies named Ralph in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1145
- among boys today
- 414,018
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Ralph currently ranks #1145 among boys' names in America, with 414,018 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ralph has been recorded 414,018 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1145 nationally and more common than 92% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1145 among boys today
- 414,018 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ralph is currently the #1145 boys' name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 414,018 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1145
- among boys today
- 414,018
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Ralph vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1145
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Ralph was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
8,860 babies were named Ralph in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Ralph compares
414,018 Top 1% higher than 99% of 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
Ralph's all-time total is 1,128x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ralph | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 414,018 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 8,860 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ralph's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ralph's full recorded timeline at 1953, 26% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 74% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2023, with just 169 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1921 peak of 8,860 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ralph at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#1,145
Active since
1880
Ralph popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 8,860
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ralph popularity over time - girls
1,840 total births recorded since 1884 (Ralph as girls' name)
Ralph by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ralph's strongest decade.
84,466 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Ralph births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 4,269
1880s
4,269 births
- 1890s 6,951
1890s
6,951 births
- 1900s 9,298
1900s
9,298 births
- 1910s
1910s
52,522 births
- 1920s
1920s
84,466 births
- 1930s
1930s
63,802 births
- 1940s
1940s
64,983 births
- 1950s
1950s
60,440 births
- 1960s
1960s
34,190 births
- 1970s 14,755
1970s
14,755 births
- 1980s 7,998
1980s
7,998 births
- 1990s 4,474
1990s
4,474 births
- 2000s 2,779
2000s
2,779 births
- 2010s 1,978
2010s
1,978 births
- 2020s 1,113
2020s
1,113 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 84,466 births (20% of all-time use).
How Ralph 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 Ralph's total volume
Ralph vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ralph by state
Where Ralph concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 36,524 | 8.8% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 29,522 | 7.1% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 26,440 | 6.4% |
| #4 | California | | 23,108 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 21,333 | 5.2% |
| #6 | Texas | | 14,754 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 14,027 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 12,689 | 3.1% |
New York share of Ralph's total US births 8.8%
Even split
36,524 of 414,018 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ralph appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ralph? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 414,018 babies named Ralph. Today it holds rank #1145 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1921, with 8,860 births.
When was Ralph most popular? ▼
Ralph was most popular in the 1920s decade with 84,466 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Ralph most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ralph are New York (36,524 births), Pennsylvania (29,522 births), Ohio (26,440 births).
How long has the name Ralph been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ralph since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ralph? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Raleigh, Ralston, Ralphael, Ralf, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ralph's data
- Ralph's decade-level peak was the 1920s (84,466 total births); usage has since declined to 1,113 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ralphs (36,524 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 Ralph
Nearby Names Like Ralph
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ralph
Raleigh Boy
#2262 9,279 births
Ralston Boy
#9040 931 births
Ralphael Boy
439 births
Ralf Boy
#12519 304 births
Raliegh Boy
264 births
Compare Ralph side by side: Ralph vs Raleigh Ralph vs Ralston Ralph vs Ralphael
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ralph
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ralph: #1145 Boys' Name - 414,018 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ralph. 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 Ralph 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.