Total births
50,228
Boys' name · since 1882
Rudy
50,228 babies named Rudy in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 1960. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #817
- among boys today
- 50,228
- born since 1882
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
50,228 babies have been named Rudy since 1882, making it today's #817 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rudy has been recorded 50,228 times among boys since 1882, currently ranked #817 nationally and more common than 94% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. 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 2025.
- #817 among boys today
- 50,228 born since 1882
- 1950s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rudy is currently the #817 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 50,228 born since 1882, peaking in the 1950s.
- #817
- among boys today
- 50,228
- born since 1882
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Rudy vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#817
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Rudy was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
831 babies were named Rudy in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Rudy compares
50,228 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Rudy's all-time total is 137x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rudy | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 50,228 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 831 | 23 | 22,252 |
Rudy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Rudy splits its recorded history at 1958: 63% of all births land in the more recent half, 37% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1882 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1960 peak of 831 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Rudy at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1960
Current rank
#817
Active since
1882
Rudy popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 831
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Rudy popularity over time - girls
1,174 total births recorded since 1912 (Rudy as girls' name)
Rudy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Rudy's strongest decade.
6,894 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Rudy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 23
1880s
23 births
- 1890s 40
1890s
40 births
- 1900s 121
1900s
121 births
- 1910s 728
1910s
728 births
- 1920s 2,374
1920s
2,374 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,213 births
- 1940s
1940s
5,785 births
- 1950s
1950s
6,894 births
- 1960s
1960s
6,348 births
- 1970s
1970s
4,926 births
- 1980s
1980s
5,355 births
- 1990s
1990s
5,049 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,828 births
- 2010s 2,739
2010s
2,739 births
- 2020s 1,805
2020s
1,805 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 6,894 births (14% of all-time use).
How Rudy 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 Rudy's total volume
Rudy vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Rudy by state
Where Rudy concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 14,090 | 28.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 11,715 | 23.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 2,051 | 4.1% |
| #4 | Arizona | | 2,033 | 4.0% |
| #5 | New Mexico | | 1,802 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 1,620 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 1,219 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 1,206 | 2.4% |
California share of Rudy's total US births 28.1%
Even split
14,090 of 50,228 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 44 reporting states.
Rudy appears in 44 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rudy? ▼
Since 1882, Social Security records show 50,228 babies named Rudy. Today it holds rank #817 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1960, with 831 births.
When was Rudy most popular? ▼
Rudy was most popular in the 1950s decade with 6,894 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Rudy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rudy are California (14,090 births), Texas (11,715 births), New York (2,051 births).
How long has the name Rudy been used? ▼
Records for Rudy go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Rudy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rudolph, Rudolf, Rudolfo, Rudra, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Rudy's data
- Rudy's decade-level peak was the 1950s (6,894 total births); usage has since declined to 1,805 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Rudys (14,090 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Rudy
Nearby Names Like Rudy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rudy
Rudolph Boy
#3394 53,441 births
Rudolf Boy
#10959 2,951 births
Rudolfo Boy
2,263 births
Rudra Boy
#1340 1,763 births
Rudi Boy
#10037 761 births
Compare Rudy side by side: Rudy vs Rudolph Rudy vs Rudolf Rudy vs Rudolfo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rudy
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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Rudy: #817 Boys' Name - 50,228 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rudy. 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 Rudy 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.