Total births
36,074
Boys' name · since 1880
Rufus
Rufus has 36,074 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1922 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4073
- among boys today
- 36,074
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other boys
Rufus currently ranks #4073 among boys' names in America, with 36,074 babies recorded since 1880.
Rufus has 36,074 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4073 as of the latest data, more common than 72% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #4073 among boys today
- 36,074 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 72% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Rufus is currently the #4073 boys' name in America, more common than 72% of boys - 36,074 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4073
- among boys today
- 36,074
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 72%
- more common than other boys
Rufus vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4073
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 72% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Rufus was born in this single decade.
1922
Single peak year
737 babies were named Rufus in 1922 - its busiest year on record.
How Rufus compares
36,074 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
Rufus's all-time total is 98x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rufus | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 36,074 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 737 | 23 | 22,252 |
Rufus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Rufus'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 19 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1922 peak of 737 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Rufus at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1922
Current rank
#4,073
Active since
1880
Rufus popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 737
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Rufus popularity over time - girls
151 total births recorded since 1913 (Rufus as girls' name)
Rufus by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Rufus's strongest decade.
6,749 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Rufus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,283
1880s
1,283 births
- 1890s 1,298
1890s
1,298 births
- 1900s 1,552
1900s
1,552 births
- 1910s
1910s
4,901 births
- 1920s
1920s
6,749 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,777 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,667 births
- 1950s
1950s
4,155 births
- 1960s 2,625
1960s
2,625 births
- 1970s 1,570
1970s
1,570 births
- 1980s 1,120
1980s
1,120 births
- 1990s 558
1990s
558 births
- 2000s 328
2000s
328 births
- 2010s 340
2010s
340 births
- 2020s 151
2020s
151 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 6,749 births (19% of all-time use).
How Rufus 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 Rufus's total volume
Rufus vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Rufus by state
Where Rufus concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 4,238 | 11.7% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 3,198 | 8.9% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 2,471 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Texas | | 2,405 | 6.7% |
| #5 | South Carolina | | 2,297 | 6.4% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 1,932 | 5.4% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 1,558 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Florida | | 1,421 | 3.9% |
Georgia share of Rufus's total US births 11.7%
Even split
4,238 of 36,074 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 31 reporting states.
Rufus appears in 31 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rufus? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 36,074 babies named Rufus. Today it holds rank #4073 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1922, with 737 births.
When was Rufus most popular? ▼
Rufus was most popular in the 1920s decade with 6,749 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
Where is Rufus most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Rufus are Georgia (4,238 births), North Carolina (3,198 births), Alabama (2,471 births).
How long has the name Rufus been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Rufus since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Rufus? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rufino, Ruffus, Ruffin, Ruford, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Rufus's data
- Rufus's decade-level peak was the 1920s (6,749 total births); usage has since declined to 151 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Rufuss (4,238 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia 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 Rufus
Nearby Names Like Rufus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rufus
Rufino Boy
#8375 1,650 births
Ruffus Boy
674 births
Ruffin Boy
#12384 560 births
Ruford Boy
71 births
Rufe Boy
29 births
Compare Rufus side by side: Rufus vs Rufino Rufus vs Ruffus Rufus vs Ruffin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rufus
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. "Rufus: #4073 Boys' Name - 36,074 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/rufus. 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 Rufus 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.