Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1960

Rolf

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #13,496

From Old Norse Hrólfr, and from its Old French equivalent, cognates of Rudolph.

Rank 2025
#13,496
among boys · ↓1,432 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
5
named Rolf
How common
1 in 341,615
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1960
96 babies
All-time total
3,103
#2,476 all-time among boys
First recorded
1912
in Social Security records

Rolf popularity over time

3,103 babies have been named Rolf since 1912, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1934Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 176 18 – #1,020
1920s 297 30 +69% #994
1930s 419 42 +41% #878
1940s 434 43 +4% #844
1950s 663 66 +53% #816
1960s 662 66 0% #781
1970s 234 23 -65% #1,413
1980s 89 9 -62% #3,450
1990s 75 8 -16% #4,528
2000s 19 2 -75% #7,706
2010s 10 1 -47% #13,659
2020s (to 2025) 25 4 +317% #9,662

The story of Rolf

Rolf is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #13,496 in 2025 with 5 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1912, 3,103 American babies have been named Rolf. Its peak came in 1960, when 96 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

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 Rolf stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rolf?

The median living Rolf is about 64 years old; half are between 56 and 72. An estimated 1,800 people named Rolf are alive in the United States today.

median 64 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Rolf year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 5 #13,496
2024 6 #12,064
2023 – –
2022 8 #9,662
2021 – –
2020 6 #11,734
2019 – –
2018 – –
2017 5 #13,849
2016 – –
2015 – –
2014 5 #13,659
2013 – –
2012 – –
2011 – –
2010 – –
2009 – –
2008 – –
2007 – –
2006 – –
2005 – –
2004 – –
2003 9 #7,706
2002 – –
2001 5 #11,943
2000 5 #11,777
1995 7 #7,638
1990 6 #7,922
1985 10 #4,284
1980 10 #4,072
1975 14 #2,879
1970 36 #1,413
1965 65 #925
1960 96 #781
1955 70 #891
1950 43 #1,083
1945 56 #844
1940 39 #1,048
1935 41 #1,008
1930 41 #1,092
1925 32 #1,296
1920 13 #2,432
1915 23 #1,447
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Rolf

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Rolf Harris Rolf Harris Australian entertainer (1930–2023) Contemporary
  2. 2 Rolf Lassgård Rolf Lassgård Swedish actor (born 1955) Contemporary
  3. 3 Rolf Løvland Rolf Løvland Musical artist b. 1955 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Rolf Stommelen Rolf Stommelen German racing driver (1943–1983) Contemporary
  5. 5 Rolf Carls Rolf Carls German admiral (1885–1945) 19th century
  6. 6 Rolf Nevanlinna Rolf Nevanlinna Finnish mathematician (1895–1980) 19th century
  7. 7 Rolf Maximilian Sievert Rolf Maximilian Sievert Swedish medical physicist (1896–1966) 19th century
  8. 8 Rolf Hochhuth Rolf Hochhuth German author and playwright (1931–2020) Contemporary
  9. 9 Rolf M. Zinkernagel Rolf M. Zinkernagel Swiss immunologist (born 1944) Contemporary
  10. 10 Rolf Hoppe Rolf Hoppe German actor (1930–2018) Contemporary
  11. 11 Rolf Sørensen Rolf Sørensen Danish cyclist (born 1965) Contemporary
  12. 12 Rolf Rüssmann German footballer (1950–2009) Contemporary
  13. 13 Rolf Jacobsen Rolf Jacobsen Norwegian poet, writer (1907–1994) Contemporary
  14. 14 Rolf Singer Rolf Singer German mycologist (1906–1994) Contemporary
  15. 15 Rolf Gölz German cyclist (born 1962) Contemporary
  16. 16 Rolf Danneberg German discus thrower (born 1953) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Rolf, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Rolf?

The median living Rolf is about 64 years old. Half of all living Rolfs are between 56 and 72 years old.

How many people named Rolf are alive today?

An estimated 1,800 people named Rolf are alive in the United States, based on 3,103 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Rolf mean?

From Old Norse Hrólfr, and from its Old French equivalent, cognates of Rudolph.

How popular is the name Rolf in 2025?

Rolf ranked #13,496 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 5 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rolf?

3,103 babies have been named Rolf in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rolf most popular?

Rolf peaked in 1960, when 96 newborns received the name.

Is Rolf a boy or girl name?

Rolf is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Rolf rising or falling?

Rolf is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Rolf?

Well-known people named Rolf include Rolf Harris (musician), Rolf Lassgård (actor), Rolf Løvland (musician).

Names like Rolf

Names that sound and feel close to Rolf: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Rolf with similar names → More names starting with R →