Rufus
Boy nameRufus has been given to 36,225 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1922.
Meaning & origin /ˈɹuːfəs/
From Latin rūfus (“red”).
Origin: Latin
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
36,225
Peak year
1922 (746 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -37%
Gender split
0% girls / 100% boys
Rank through the decades
Rufus's rank among U.S. boy names at 25-year milestones.
| Year | Boys rank |
|---|---|
| 1900 | #141 |
| 1925 | #207 |
| 1950 | #334 |
| 1975 | #680 |
— means outside the top 1000 that year.
Famous people named Rufus
Rufus Wainwright
American-Canadian singer-songwriter and composer
Rufus Sewell
English actor (born 1967)
Max Mosley
President FIA; former race car driver and British lawyer
Rufus King
American Founding Father (1755–1827)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Rufus.
FAQ
How popular is the name Rufus?
Rufus has been given to 36,225 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.
When did the name Rufus peak?
Rufus peaked in 1922, when 746 babies were given the name.
Is Rufus a girl or boy name?
Rufus is primarily a boy name (100% of babies named Rufus are boys).
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