Ralph

Did you know?

A few things about Ralph you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Ralph

Ralph Waldo Emerson

American philosopher (1803–1882)

Choose Ralph and your child shares a first name with Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American philosopher. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Ralph, like who?” Ralph Waldo Emerson's Wikipedia article is available in 155 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Ralph Waldo Emerson on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: User:Scewing derivative work: 2009, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 8,097 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Ralph, 211 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Ralph would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryRalph has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Ralphs, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1917, when it ranked #21. Today it's #1,046, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendRalph has climbed 55 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,046. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedRalph is most popular in Wisconsin, where it ranks #618, followed by Utah (#621) and New York (#661). It's in the top 1,000 in 12 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Old English, Ralph means “wolf counsel”.

About the name Ralph

Ralph is a boy name meaning “wolf counsel”. It has 5 letters and 1 syllable, starting with R and ending in “-lph”. US birth records list Ralph for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1917, when it ranked #21 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,046, with 211 babies.