Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1922

Rufus

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,019 Trend → Stable

A male given name from Latin, used since the seventeenth century.

Rank 2025
#4,019
among boys · ↑151 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
27
named Rufus · +4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 63,262
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1922
746 babies
All-time total
36,225
#604 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Rufus popularity over time

36,225 babies have been named Rufus 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 – 1,283 1,283 128 – #88
1890s – 1,298 1,298 130 +1% #118
1900s – 1,552 1,552 155 +20% #126
1910s 25 4,901 4,926 493 +217% #145
1920s 58 6,749 6,807 681 +38% #188
1930s 12 4,777 4,789 479 -30% #225
1940s 24 4,667 4,691 469 -2% #257
1950s 22 4,155 4,177 418 -11% #325
1960s 10 2,625 2,635 264 -37% #441
1970s – 1,570 1,570 157 -40% #591
1980s – 1,120 1,120 112 -29% #713
1990s – 558 558 56 -50% #1,223
2000s – 328 328 33 -41% #2,543
2010s – 340 340 34 +4% #2,704
2020s (to 2025) – 151 151 25 -26% #3,971

Where Rufus 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 27 0.02 outside top 500
2027 27 0.02 outside top 500
2028 27 0.02 outside top 500
2029 26 0.02 outside top 500
2030 26 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Rufus

Rufus is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,019 in 2025 with 27 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 36,225 American babies have been named Rufus. Its peak came in 1922, when 746 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 Rufus stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Rufus?

The median living Rufus is about 66 years old; half are between 51 and 76. An estimated 12 thousand people named Rufus are alive in the United States today.

median 66 020406080100

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

Rufus 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 – – 27 #4,019
2024 – – 26 #4,170
2023 – – 19 #5,209
2022 – – 28 #3,971
2021 – – 25 #4,211
2020 – – 26 #4,005
2019 – – 30 #3,701
2018 – – 26 #4,082
2017 – – 36 #3,239
2016 – – 35 #3,281
2015 – – 43 #2,799
2014 – – 20 #4,828
2013 – – 44 #2,704
2012 – – 30 #3,610
2011 – – 40 #2,945
2010 – – 36 #3,171
2009 – – 24 #4,253
2008 – – 27 #3,902
2007 – – 29 #3,673
2006 – – 36 #3,073
2005 – – 34 #3,074
2004 – – 41 #2,630
2003 – – 28 #3,352
2002 – – 39 #2,543
2001 – – 34 #2,781
2000 – – 36 #2,611
1995 – – 44 #1,948
1990 – – 81 #1,223
1985 – – 125 #797
1980 – – 149 #713
1975 – – 147 #680
1970 – – 184 #599
1965 5 #7,317 228 #505
1960 – – 332 #441
1955 6 #5,713 406 #358
1950 – – 407 #334
1945 – – 412 #296
1940 8 #3,462 460 #257
1935 – – 461 #250
1930 – – 565 #225
1925 7 #4,371 676 #207
1920 6 #4,886 729 #188
1915 7 #3,736 588 #188
1910 – – 221 #145
1905 – – 157 #139
1900 – – 157 #141
1895 – – 135 #124
1890 – – 115 #126
1885 – – 118 #117
1880 – – 163 #88

Famous people named Rufus

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

  1. 1 Rufus Sewell Rufus Sewell British actor (born 1967) Contemporary
  2. 2 Rufus Wainwright Rufus Wainwright Canadian-American singer-songwriter (born 1973) Contemporary
  3. 3 Rufus King Rufus King American Founding Father (1755–1827) 18th century
  4. 4 Rufus Thomas Rufus Thomas American singer (1917–2001) Contemporary
  5. 5 Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading British politician (1860–1935) 19th century
  6. 6 Rufus Wilmot Griswold Rufus Wilmot Griswold American anthologist (1815–1857) 19th century
  7. 7 Rufus of Ephesus Rufus of Ephesus Late 1st and early 2nd century Greek physician b. 100 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Rufus?

The median living Rufus is about 66 years old. Half of all living Rufuss are between 51 and 76 years old.

How many people named Rufus are alive today?

An estimated 12 thousand people named Rufus are alive in the United States, based on 36,225 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Rufus mean?

A male given name from Latin, used since the seventeenth century.

How popular is the name Rufus in 2025?

Rufus ranked #4,019 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 27 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Rufus?

36,225 babies have been named Rufus in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Rufus most popular?

Rufus peaked in 1922, when 746 newborns received the name.

Is Rufus a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Rufus rising or falling?

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

Will Rufus become more popular?

Rufus looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 26 boys named Rufus in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Rufus?

Well-known people named Rufus include Rufus Sewell (actor), Rufus Wainwright (musician), Rufus King (politician).

Names like Rufus

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

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