Ralph
Contracted from the medieval Radulf, a Germanic name joining rad, 'counsel', with wulf, 'wolf'. The Norse equivalent Radulfr reached England with Scandinavian settlers.
Ralph in 2025
Ralph was given to 211 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 2,137th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 15,713 babies born.
The history of Ralph
Ralph reached its highest point in 1921, when 8,902 babies were given the name, ranking 47th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 46th, in 1923.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 415,858 babies have been named Ralph. Half of them were born before 1937, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Ralph by decade
| Decade | Babies named Ralph | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,285 | 111 |
| 1890s | 6,984 | 101 |
| 1900s | 9,331 | 94 |
| 1910s | 52,749 | 49 |
| 1920s | 84,952 | 46 |
| 1930s | 64,113 | 55 |
| 1940s | 65,163 | 76 |
| 1950s | 60,625 | 109 |
| 1960s | 34,374 | 191 |
| 1970s | 14,883 | 298 |
| 1980s | 8,050 | 479 |
| 1990s | 4,479 | 808 |
| 2000s | 2,779 | 1,264 |
| 2010s | 1,978 | 2,064 |
| 2020s | 1,113 | 2,137 |
Where Ralph is heading
Ralph has risen 13% over the past decade, from 186 babies in 2015 to 211 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1921 peak — Ralph is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Ralph
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Ralph.