Boys' name · since 1882
Rudolf
2,951 babies named Rudolf in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 1927. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2,563 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,951
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
2,951 boys have been named Rudolf since 1882, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rudolf has been recorded 2,951 times among boys since 1882, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, 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 1882 to 2024.
- #2,563 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 2,951 born since 1882
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rudolf ranks #2,563 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,951 born since 1882, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2,563 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 2,951
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
Rudolf's 2,951 recorded births place it above 94.36% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
9 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
Rudolf's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Rudolf's full recorded timeline at 1958, 29% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 71% 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 1927 peak of 82 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Rudolf popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2024
- Peak year (1927)
- 82
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Rudolf by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (585 births, 20% of the file).
1920s was Rudolf's strongest decade.
585 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Rudolf births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 11
1880s
11 births
- 1890s 17
1890s
17 births
- 1900s 62
1900s
62 births
- 1910s
1910s
407 births
- 1920s
1920s
585 births
- 1930s
1930s
419 births
- 1940s
1940s
323 births
- 1950s
1950s
349 births
- 1960s 221
1960s
221 births
- 1970s 173
1970s
173 births
- 1980s 137
1980s
137 births
- 1990s 104
1990s
104 births
- 2000s 69
2000s
69 births
- 2010s 41
2010s
41 births
- 2020s 33
2020s
33 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 585 births (20% of all-time use).
How Rudolf 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 Rudolf's total volume
Rudolf by state
Where Rudolf concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 473 | 16.0% |
| #2 | California | | 147 | 5.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 139 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 64 | 2.2% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 35 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 35 | 1.2% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 23 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 17 | 0.6% |
473 of 2,951 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Rudolf appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rudolf? ▼
Where does Rudolf sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Rudolf most popular? ▼
Where is Rudolf most popular? ▼
How long has the name Rudolf been used? ▼
What names are similar to Rudolf? ▼
What to do with Rudolf's data
- Rudolf's decade-level peak was the 1920s (585 total births); usage has since declined to 33 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Rudolfs (473 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 Rudolf
Nearby Names Like Rudolf
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rudolf
Compare Rudolf side by side: Rudolf vs Rudolph Rudolf vs Rudy Rudolf vs Rudolfo
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rudolf: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1927)
Similar record span (~142 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, 1882–2024 (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 Rudolf 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.