Total births
2,951
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.
- #10959
- among boys today
- 2,951
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Rudolf currently ranks #10959 among boys' names in America, with 2,951 babies recorded since 1882.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rudolf has been recorded 2,951 times among boys since 1882, currently ranked #10959 nationally and more common than 23% 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 1882 to 2024.
- #10959 among boys today
- 2,951 born since 1882
- 1920s peak decade
- 23% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Rudolf is currently the #10959 boys' name in America, more common than 23% of boys - 2,951 born since 1882, peaking in the 1920s.
- #10959
- among boys today
- 2,951
- born since 1882
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other boys
Rudolf vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#10959
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 23% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Rudolf was born in this single decade.
1927
Single peak year
82 babies were named Rudolf in 1927 - its busiest year on record.
How Rudolf compares
2,951 Top 17% higher than 83% 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
Rudolf's all-time total is 8x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rudolf | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,951 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 82 | 23 | 22,252 |
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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1927
Current rank
#10,959
Active since
1882
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
New York share of Rudolf's total US births 16.0%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1882, Social Security records show 2,951 babies named Rudolf. Today it holds rank #10959 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1927, with 82 births.
When was Rudolf most popular? ▼
Rudolf was most popular in the 1920s decade with 585 total births. The single peak year was 1927.
Where is Rudolf most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rudolf are New York (473 births), California (147 births), Texas (139 births).
How long has the name Rudolf been used? ▼
Rudolf has been recorded in Social Security data since 1882, spanning 143 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Rudolf? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rudolph, Rudy, Rudolfo, Rudra, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Rudolf
Nearby Names Like Rudolf
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rudolf
Rudolph Boy
#3394 53,441 births
Rudy Boy
#817 50,228 births
Rudolfo Boy
2,263 births
Rudra Boy
#1340 1,763 births
Rudi Boy
#10037 761 births
Compare Rudolf side by side: Rudolf vs Rudolph Rudolf vs Rudy Rudolf vs Rudolfo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rudolf
Lennie #10958
2,890 births · Peak 1957
Jewell #10960
4,684 births · Peak 1923
Hall #10957
877 births · Peak 1918
Jeptha #10961
290 births · Peak 1924
Alice #10956
1,959 births · Peak 1925
Benjamen #10962
3,687 births · Peak 1990
Lorin #10955
4,729 births · Peak 1965
Hayward #10963
5,064 births · Peak 1956
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rudolf: #10959 Boys' Name - 2,951 Births, Peak 1927." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rudolf. 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 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 July 2026.