Boy nameCurrently #1,152 in the USSteady
Ralph
RALF//rælf//
1 syllablePeak year: 19215 lettersStarts with R
Meaning & origin
Wolf counsel
Ralph comes from the Germanic elements 'rad' (counsel) and 'wolf', meaning 'wolf counsel', suggesting a wise and formidable advisor. A steady English classic for centuries, it carries an understated, old-fashioned charm.
Ralph's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Ralph |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 317 |
| 1881 | 329 |
| 1882 | 407 |
| 1883 | 385 |
| 1884 | 469 |
| 1885 | 422 |
| 1886 | 440 |
| 1887 | 463 |
| 1888 | 553 |
| 1889 | 500 |
| 1890 | 592 |
| 1891 | 595 |
| 1892 | 725 |
| 1893 | 636 |
| 1894 | 697 |
| 1895 | 741 |
| 1896 | 746 |
| 1897 | 702 |
| 1898 | 803 |
| 1899 | 747 |
| 1900 | 896 |
| 1901 | 687 |
| 1902 | 873 |
| 1903 | 812 |
| 1904 | 899 |
| 1905 | 938 |
| 1906 | 989 |
| 1907 | 997 |
| 1908 | 1,144 |
| 1909 | 1,096 |
| 1910 | 1,285 |
| 1911 | 1,681 |
| 1912 | 3,449 |
| 1913 | 3,988 |
| 1914 | 5,022 |
| 1915 | 6,840 |
| 1916 | 7,117 |
| 1917 | 7,421 |
| 1918 | 8,192 |
| 1919 | 7,754 |
| 1920 | 8,598 |
| 1921 | 8,902 |
| 1922 | 8,540 |
| 1923 | 8,671 |
| 1924 | 8,810 |
| 1925 | 8,510 |
| 1926 | 8,499 |
| 1927 | 8,493 |
| 1928 | 8,156 |
| 1929 | 7,773 |
| 1930 | 7,679 |
| 1931 | 7,005 |
| 1932 | 6,759 |
| 1933 | 6,221 |
| 1934 | 6,316 |
| 1935 | 6,122 |
| 1936 | 6,057 |
| 1937 | 5,941 |
| 1938 | 6,033 |
| 1939 | 5,979 |
| 1940 | 5,865 |
| 1941 | 6,056 |
| 1942 | 6,652 |
| 1943 | 6,782 |
| 1944 | 6,288 |
| 1945 | 5,803 |
| 1946 | 6,608 |
| 1947 | 7,409 |
| 1948 | 6,935 |
| 1949 | 6,762 |
| 1950 | 6,421 |
| 1951 | 6,541 |
| 1952 | 6,486 |
| 1953 | 6,530 |
| 1954 | 6,328 |
| 1955 | 5,981 |
| 1956 | 6,064 |
| 1957 | 5,731 |
| 1958 | 5,475 |
| 1959 | 5,070 |
| 1960 | 4,786 |
| 1961 | 4,463 |
| 1962 | 4,197 |
| 1963 | 3,947 |
| 1964 | 3,578 |
| 1965 | 3,237 |
| 1966 | 2,807 |
| 1967 | 2,575 |
| 1968 | 2,346 |
| 1969 | 2,433 |
| 1970 | 2,270 |
| 1971 | 1,999 |
| 1972 | 1,687 |
| 1973 | 1,576 |
| 1974 | 1,378 |
| 1975 | 1,357 |
| 1976 | 1,169 |
| 1977 | 1,266 |
| 1978 | 1,091 |
| 1979 | 1,090 |
| 1980 | 1,047 |
| 1981 | 904 |
| 1982 | 949 |
| 1983 | 851 |
| 1984 | 781 |
| 1985 | 758 |
| 1986 | 734 |
| 1987 | 730 |
| 1988 | 634 |
| 1989 | 664 |
| 1990 | 608 |
| 1991 | 562 |
| 1992 | 499 |
| 1993 | 520 |
| 1994 | 422 |
| 1995 | 413 |
| 1996 | 415 |
| 1997 | 364 |
| 1998 | 333 |
| 1999 | 343 |
| 2000 | 342 |
| 2001 | 319 |
| 2002 | 314 |
| 2003 | 300 |
| 2004 | 270 |
| 2005 | 258 |
| 2006 | 278 |
| 2007 | 239 |
| 2008 | 248 |
| 2009 | 211 |
| 2010 | 205 |
| 2011 | 208 |
| 2012 | 180 |
| 2013 | 194 |
| 2014 | 193 |
| 2015 | 186 |
| 2016 | 205 |
| 2017 | 185 |
| 2018 | 219 |
| 2019 | 203 |
| 2020 | 180 |
| 2021 | 186 |
| 2022 | 183 |
| 2023 | 168 |
| 2024 | 182 |
Ralph through the decades
- Ralph peaked in 1921, when 8,902 babies were named Ralph in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Ralph has fallen 14% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Ralph currently ranks #1,152 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Ralphie
Variants & spellings
Rafe
Famous people named Ralph
- Ralph Waldo Emerson — essayist and poet