Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1927

Rudolph

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,231 Trend ↓ Falling 17%

Borrowed from German Rudolph, Rudolf (compare Proto-Germanic *Hrōþiwulfaz).

Rank 2025
#4,231
among boys · ↓787 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
25
named Rudolph · -26% vs 2024
How common
1 in 68,323
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1927
1,700 babies
All-time total
53,638
#488 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Rudolph popularity over time

53,638 babies have been named Rudolph since 1880, 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
0.511.5218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 652 652 65 – #165
1890s – 998 998 100 +53% #147
1900s – 1,339 1,339 134 +34% #140
1910s 29 6,857 6,886 689 +414% #135
1920s 77 12,561 12,638 1,264 +84% #110
1930s 47 8,200 8,247 825 -35% #140
1940s 21 6,553 6,574 657 -20% #206
1950s 12 6,652 6,664 666 +1% #228
1960s – 3,535 3,535 354 -47% #377
1970s 11 2,186 2,197 220 -38% #462
1980s – 1,703 1,703 170 -22% #625
1990s – 1,054 1,054 105 -38% #848
2000s – 589 589 59 -44% #1,499
2010s – 392 392 39 -33% #2,614
2020s (to 2025) – 170 170 28 -28% #3,444

Where Rudolph is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 24 0.01 outside top 500
2027 24 0.01 outside top 500
2028 23 0.01 outside top 500
2029 23 0.01 outside top 500
2030 22 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Rudolph

Rudolph is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,231 in 2025 with 25 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 53,638 American babies have been named Rudolph. Its peak came in 1927, when 1,700 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 Rudolph stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rudolph?

The median living Rudolph is about 67 years old; half are between 50 and 76. An estimated 18 thousand people named Rudolph are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

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

Rudolph 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 – – 25 #4,231
2024 – – 34 #3,444
2023 – – 22 #4,715
2022 – – 30 #3,755
2021 – – 31 #3,635
2020 – – 28 #3,793
2019 – – 41 #2,985
2018 – – 34 #3,358
2017 – – 40 #2,997
2016 – – 34 #3,350
2015 – – 41 #2,908
2014 – – 47 #2,614
2013 – – 36 #3,111
2012 – – 43 #2,806
2011 – – 44 #2,732
2010 – – 32 #3,433
2009 – – 35 #3,262
2008 – – 54 #2,401
2007 – – 45 #2,711
2006 – – 50 #2,469
2005 – – 58 #2,125
2004 – – 59 #2,047
2003 – – 65 #1,838
2002 – – 69 #1,706
2001 – – 82 #1,499
2000 – – 72 #1,638
1995 – – 105 #1,120
1990 – – 146 #848
1985 – – 157 #705
1980 – – 196 #625
1975 – – 188 #588
1970 – – 309 #462
1965 – – 328 #426
1960 – – 442 #377
1955 7 #5,120 653 #281
1950 – – 756 #239
1945 5 #5,130 574 #235
1940 5 #4,920 622 #206
1935 – – 745 #181
1930 15 #2,288 1,219 #140
1925 12 #2,917 1,240 #136
1920 5 #5,638 830 #169
1915 6 #4,184 974 #135
1910 – – 218 #147
1905 – – 132 #156
1900 – – 147 #145
1895 – – 106 #147
1890 – – 92 #154
1885 – – 70 #189
1880 – – 54 #218

Famous people named Rudolph

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

  1. 1 Rudolph Valentino Rudolph Valentino Italian actor (1895–1926) 19th century
  2. 2 Rudolph of France Rudolph of France King of West Francia from 923 to 936 890–936 · Medieval
  3. 3 Rudolph A. Marcus Rudolph A. Marcus Canadian-born American chemist and Nobel laureate (1923–2026) Contemporary
  4. 4 Rudolph Schindler Rudolph Schindler American architect 1887–1953 · 19th century
  5. 5 Rudolph II of Burgundy King of Burgundy from 912 to 937 888–937 · Medieval
  6. 6 Rudolph I of Burgundy Rudolph I of Burgundy King of Upper Burgundy from 888 to 912) 859–912 · Medieval
  7. 7 Rudolph Maté Rudolph Maté Polish-Hungarian cinematographer and film director (1898–1964) 19th century
  8. 8 Rudolph III of Burgundy Rudolph III of Burgundy King of Burgundy from 993 to 1032 971–1032 · Medieval
  9. 9 Rudolph Goclenius Rudolph Goclenius German philosopher 1547–1628 · 16th century
  10. 10 Rudolph Minkowski German-American astronomer 1895–1976 · 19th century
  11. 11 Rudolph Schadow Rudolph Schadow German sculptor 1786–1822 · 18th century
  12. 12 Rudolph Lewis Topics referred to by the same term 1887–1933 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Rudolph?

The median living Rudolph is about 67 years old. Half of all living Rudolphs are between 50 and 76 years old.

How many people named Rudolph are alive today?

An estimated 18 thousand people named Rudolph are alive in the United States, based on 53,638 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Rudolph mean?

Borrowed from German Rudolph, Rudolf (compare Proto-Germanic *Hrōþiwulfaz).

How popular is the name Rudolph in 2025?

Rudolph ranked #4,231 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 25 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rudolph?

53,638 babies have been named Rudolph in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rudolph most popular?

Rudolph peaked in 1927, when 1,700 newborns received the name.

Is Rudolph a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Rudolph rising or falling?

Rudolph is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Rudolph become more popular?

Rudolph is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 22 boys named Rudolph in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Rudolph?

Well-known people named Rudolph include Rudolph Valentino (actor), Rudolph of France (politician), Rudolph A. Marcus (chemist).

Names like Rudolph

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

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