Ralph
Ralph was the 1048th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 211 babies. Its best year was 1914, when it ranked 21st; the most babies were born in 1921 (8,860). Over the last ten years it has moved up 19 places. More babies were named Ralph in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning wolf counsel · Germanic, Old French
Say it RALF /ɹælf/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,048 boys, up 54 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 211boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19218,860 babies
- Total since 1880
- 415,858babies recorded
What does the name Ralph mean?
Ralph comes from a Germanic name made of rād 'counsel, advice' and wulf 'wolf', as DMNES notes; Old Norse Ráðulfr and Old English Rǣdwulf are related forms. The Normans brought it to England as Raoul and Rauf, and medieval English forms such as Rauf and Rawe survive in surnames like Rawson. In Britain it is sometimes pronounced RAYF, closer to the medieval forms.
rād (Old Saxon, “counsel, advice”)wulf (Old High German, “wolf”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Pronunciation: In British upper-class usage it can be RAYF.
Related names: Raoul, Rafe, Rolf, Raul.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean wisdom, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ralph', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ralph', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Ralph popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,840 since 1884.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,048 | 211 |
| 2020 | #1,102 | 180 |
| 2010 | #967 | 205 |
| 2000 | #584 | 342 |
| 1990 | #385 | 603 |
| 1980 | #229 | 1,039 |
| 1970 | #147 | 2,248 |
| 1960 | #89 | 4,770 |
| 1950 | #52 | 6,406 |
| 1940 | #37 | 5,838 |
| 1930 | #25 | 7,634 |
| 1920 | #22 | 8,556 |
| 1910 | #28 | 1,278 |
| 1900 | #31 | 896 |
| 1890 | #32 | 587 |
| 1880 | #54 | 317 |
How popular is Ralph, counting every spelling?
Ralph has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #999 for boys in 2025, against #1,048 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Ralph?
211 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ralph (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ralph born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 40 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ralph.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ralph?
About 133,700 people born in the US named Ralph are alive today, with a median age of 69; half are between 58 and 77. That makes Ralph a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ralph by state
How common Ralph was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.2×), New York (1.9×), Florida (1.6×). In 27 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ralph: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ralph, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ralph · Sibling names for Ralph
Questions about the name Ralph
What does Ralph mean?
Ralph means “wolf counsel” (Germanic, Old French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ralph?
Ralph was the 1048th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 211 babies. Its best year was 1914, when it ranked 21st; the most babies were born in 1921 (8,860). Over the last ten years it has moved up 19 places. More babies were named Ralph in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Ralph a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ralph in the US.
Where is Ralph most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ralph was most common in New Jersey (0.24 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Florida.