Unisex name · since 1931
Rudi
Rudi has 761 recorded births since 1931 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1978 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,087 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #9,017 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 761
- born since 1931
- 1980s
- peak decade
Rudi currently ranks #9017 among unisex names in America, with 761 babies recorded since 1931.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rudi has been recorded 761 times among boys since 1931, currently ranked #9017 nationally and more common than 35% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1931 to 2025.
- #6,087 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #9,017 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 761 born since 1931
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rudi ranks #6,087 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #9,017 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 761 born since 1931, peaking in the 1980s.
- #6,087 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #9,017 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 761
- born since 1931
- 1980s
- peak decade
Rudi's 761 recorded births place it above 86.61% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Rudi compares
761 Top 36% higher than 64% of 13,930 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
Rudi's all-time total is 106% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rudi | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 761 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 19 | 34 | 22,252 |
Rudi's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rudi splits its recorded history at 1984: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1939 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1978 peak of 19 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rudi popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1931–2025
- Peak year (1978)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 95 years of records
Rudi popularity over time - girls
485 total births recorded since 1985 (Rudi as girls' name)
Rudi by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (121 births, 16% of the file).
1980s was Rudi's strongest decade.
121 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Rudi births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 18
1930s
18 births
- 1940s 22
1940s
22 births
- 1950s
1950s
80 births
- 1960s
1960s
110 births
- 1970s
1970s
104 births
- 1980s
1980s
121 births
- 1990s
1990s
109 births
- 2000s
2000s
90 births
- 2010s
2010s
61 births
- 2020s 46
2020s
46 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 121 births (16% of all-time use).
How Rudi 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 Rudi's total volume
Rudi by state
Where Rudi concentrates geographically, total births since 1931
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 23 | 3.0% |
| #2 | Florida | | 5 | 0.7% |
23 of 761 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rudi? ▼
Where does Rudi sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Rudi most popular? ▼
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What to do with Rudi's data
- Rudi's usage has stayed within range of its 1980s decade-level peak (121 total births) through the 2020s (46) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Rudis (23 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rudi
Nearby Names Like Rudi
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rudi
Compare Rudi side by side: Rudi vs Rudolph Rudi vs Rudy Rudi vs Rudolf
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rudi
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rudi: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1978)
Similar record span (~94 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, 1931–2025 (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 Rudi 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.