Rawlins
From the Germanic name Radulphus, meaning "counsel" and "wolf".
Name Census estimates that about 169 living Americans carry the first name Rawlins. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 81.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Rawlins today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rawlins births was 2023 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rawlins. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
169
~ 1 in 2,028,132 Americans
Peak year
2023
25 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,380
Tracked since 2011
Gender
Gender distribution for Rawlins
Rawlins leans heavily male at 81.8% of total registrations, but 31 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Rawlins as a male name
- Ranked #6,380 in 2024
- 14 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (16 births)
Rawlins as a female name
- Ranked #10,970 in 2023
- 9 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (9 births)
Popularity
Rawlins: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rawlins from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 99 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rawlins by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rawlins during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rawlins
The name Rawlins has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name Raulf or Rauf, which was a variant of the Germanic name Ralph or Radulf. The name Ralph itself is composed of the elements "rad" meaning counsel, and "wulf" meaning wolf.
Rawlins was initially used as a surname, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Rawlin de Nevill in the 13th century. Over time, it evolved into a given name, especially in regions like Lancashire and Yorkshire where it was more prevalent.
In the 14th century, a Rawlins Lughteburgh was mentioned in historical records from Norfolk, England. Another notable individual was Sir Rawlins Raggshawe, a 15th-century knight from Lancashire, who fought in the Wars of the Roses.
During the Renaissance period, the name Rawlins was associated with some notable figures. Rawlins White, an English writer and dramatist, was born in 1585 and is known for his contributions to the Jacobean era of English literature.
In the 17th century, Rawlins Cross was a Puritan minister who served as the chaplain to Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army during the English Civil War. He was known for his fiery sermons and unwavering religious convictions.
Moving into the 18th century, Rawlins Lowndes was a prominent British politician and Member of Parliament who served under Prime Minister Robert Walpole. He was born in 1720 and played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of his time.
While the name Rawlins may have faded in popularity in more recent times, its historical significance and connections to influential figures from various eras cannot be overlooked. It remains a unique and distinctive name with a rich heritage rooted in the medieval and early modern periods of English history.
People
Rawlins + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rawlins as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rawlins: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rawlins?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 169 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rawlins going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,028,132 US residents.
Is Rawlins a common name?
We classify Rawlins as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 170 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rawlins most popular?
The single biggest year for Rawlins was 2023, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rawlins is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rawlins a male name?
Yes, 81.8% of people registered as Rawlins in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.