Ralph
From Middle English Radulf, from Old English Rǣdwulf (also as Raulf), from Proto-West Germanic *Rādawulf, from Proto-Germanic *Rēdawulfaz.
Every Ralph since 1880 — 415,858 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Ralph
Ralph is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,048 in 2025 with 211 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 415,858 American babies have been named Ralph. Its peak came in 1921, when 8,902 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ralph stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Ralph year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 211 | #1,048 |
| 2024 | — | — | 183 | #1,148 |
| 2023 | — | — | 169 | #1,196 |
| 2022 | — | — | 184 | #1,141 |
| 2021 | — | — | 186 | #1,111 |
| 2020 | — | — | 180 | #1,102 |
| 2019 | — | — | 203 | #1,026 |
| 2018 | — | — | 219 | #950 |
| 2017 | — | — | 185 | #1,070 |
| 2016 | — | — | 205 | #996 |
| 2015 | — | — | 186 | #1,067 |
| 2014 | — | — | 193 | #1,042 |
| 2013 | — | — | 194 | #1,010 |
| 2012 | — | — | 180 | #1,059 |
| 2011 | — | — | 208 | #956 |
| 2010 | — | — | 205 | #967 |
| 2009 | — | — | 211 | #956 |
| 2008 | — | — | 248 | #860 |
| 2007 | — | — | 239 | #869 |
| 2006 | — | — | 278 | #761 |
| 2005 | — | — | 258 | #771 |
| 2004 | — | — | 270 | #712 |
| 2003 | — | — | 300 | #661 |
| 2002 | — | — | 314 | #630 |
| 2001 | — | — | 319 | #610 |
| 2000 | — | — | 342 | #584 |
| 1995 | — | — | 413 | #502 |
| 1990 | 5 | #14,641 | 603 | #385 |
| 1985 | 5 | #11,976 | 753 | #277 |
| 1980 | 8 | #7,932 | 1,039 | #229 |
| 1975 | 14 | #4,532 | 1,343 | #173 |
| 1970 | 21 | #3,179 | 2,248 | #147 |
| 1965 | 12 | #3,899 | 3,225 | #103 |
| 1960 | 17 | #3,075 | 4,770 | #89 |
| 1955 | 16 | #2,934 | 5,965 | #67 |
| 1950 | 15 | #2,749 | 6,406 | #52 |
| 1945 | 18 | #2,042 | 5,785 | #44 |
| 1940 | 27 | #1,508 | 5,838 | #37 |
| 1935 | 32 | #1,298 | 6,090 | #32 |
| 1930 | 45 | #1,114 | 7,634 | #25 |
| 1925 | 43 | #1,189 | 8,467 | #25 |
| 1920 | 42 | #1,185 | 8,556 | #22 |
| 1915 | 24 | #1,512 | 6,816 | #21 |
| 1910 | 7 | #2,100 | 1,278 | #28 |
| 1905 | — | — | 938 | #27 |
| 1900 | — | — | 896 | #31 |
| 1895 | 5 | #1,770 | 736 | #30 |
| 1890 | 5 | #1,496 | 587 | #32 |
| 1885 | — | — | 422 | #44 |
| 1880 | — | — | 317 | #54 |
Famous people named Ralph
- Ralph Waldo Emerson Writer · 1803–1882
- Ralph Lauren Fashion designer · b. 1939
- Ralph Fiennes Actor · b. 1962
- Ralph M. Steinman Biologist · 1943–2011
- Ralph Vaughan Williams Composer · 1872–1958
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ralph mean?
From Middle English Radulf, from Old English Rǣdwulf (also as Raulf), from Proto-West Germanic *Rādawulf, from Proto-Germanic *Rēdawulfaz.
How popular is the name Ralph in 2025?
Ralph ranked #1,048 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 211 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Ralph?
415,858 babies have been named Ralph in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Ralph most popular?
Ralph peaked in 1921, when 8,902 newborns received the name.
Is Ralph a boy or girl name?
Ralph is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Ralph rising or falling?
Ralph has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Ralph?
Well-known people named Ralph include Ralph Waldo Emerson (writer), Ralph Lauren (fashion designer), Ralph Fiennes (actor).