Ralph
Boy nameRalph has been given to 415,858 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1921.
Meaning & origin /ˈɹælf/
From Middle English Radulf, from Old English Rǣdwulf (also as Raulf), from Proto-West Germanic *Rādawulf, from Proto-Germanic *Rēdawulfaz. Reinforced by similar forms brought to England, e.g. Old Norse Ráðúlfr, then in the Norman form Old French Radulf, Radulph. For the sense relating to vomiting, see ralph.
Origin: Germanic languages
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
415,858
Peak year
1921 (8,902 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▲ +13%
Gender split
0% girls / 100% boys
Famous people named Ralph
Ralph Waldo Emerson
American philosopher (1803–1882)
Ralph Fiennes
English actor, director and producer (born 1962)
Ralph Bunche
Diplomat, educator, civil rights activist and the first African American Nobel Peace Prize winner (1904–1971)
Norman Angell
British politician (1872-1967)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Ralph.
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