Ralph

Ralph - A very unique male name

Ralph appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #28. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Ralph and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Ralph? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Ralph. The baby boy name Ralph was given to 145 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1101 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 10,112 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Ralph peaked in popularity 112 years ago in 1914 on position 21.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Ralph, 1-5?

Ralph is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Ralph is currently topping the baby name charts in Wisconsin at position #668 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,414.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Ralph is where you live.

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Ralph origin and meaning

Germanic, via Old Norse and Norman French

From Radulf: rad 'counsel' + wulf 'wolf' — 'counsel-wolf'

Ralph descends from the Norse name Ráðúlfr, brought to England by the Normans, and was a leading name into the 1920s — its US peak was 1921. After a century-long slide it has edged up slightly since 2020, in line with the revival of other grandad names.

Attested etymology

Ralph is a 5 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Ralph, pop culture references for the name Ralph and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Ralph

We've found the following names that sound similar to Ralph, sorted by popularity.

Rolf / Ralphie / Ralphy / Ralf /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Ralph

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Ralph a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Ralph?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

RALF · /rælf/
Most Americans say RALF; the older British pronunciation RAYF is still heard, including for Ralph Fiennes.

Around the world

• Ralf (German) — The German spelling of the same name
• Raoul (French) — A related French development of the same root

Spellings and nicknames

• Ralf — German spelling used in the US data

Nicknames: Ralphie

Famous bearers

• Ralph Waldo Emerson — American essayist and philosopher, leader of transcendentalism (1803–1882) Historical
• Ralph Lauren — American fashion designer; born Ralph Lifshitz, he built his brand under the name Ralph Lauren (b. 1939) Contemporary
• Ralph Fiennes — English actor, known for Schindler's List and the Harry Potter films (b. 1962) Contemporary

Style

ClassicVintage revival

Why parents choose it

Ralph is a grandad name at the very start of a possible comeback — familiar to everyone, carried by almost no babies.

Worth knowing

• Pronunciation splits between RALF and the British RAYF
• A slang verb meaning 'to vomit' exists in US campus slang