Ringo
A masculine Japanese name meaning "apple tree" or "small apple".
Name Census estimates that about 232 living Americans carry the first name Ringo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ringo today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ringo births was 1965 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ringo. 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
232
~ 1 in 1,477,389 Americans
Peak year
1965
18 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,554
Tracked since 1964
Popularity
Ringo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ringo from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 64 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ringo 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 Ringo 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 Ringo
The name Ringo is believed to have originated from the Japanese language. It is thought to be a shortened form of the Japanese name Ringo, which means "apple" or "apple tree." The name's roots can be traced back to the late 19th century when it first gained popularity in Japan.
While the name Ringo is not found in any ancient texts or religious scriptures, it does have some historical references. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Ringo Starr, the drummer and singer of the legendary rock band The Beatles. Born Richard Starkey in 1940, he adopted the stage name Ringo Starr early in his career.
Another notable bearer of the name was Ringo Sheena, a Japanese singer-songwriter born in 1978. Her unique stage name, which combines her given name Ringo with the surname Sheena, has contributed to her distinctive persona in the Japanese music industry.
In the world of sports, Ringo Tsukino was a Japanese professional boxer who competed in the bantamweight division. Born in 1976, he had a successful career, becoming the Japanese bantamweight champion in 2003.
Ringo Lam, a Hong Kong film director and producer, was also known for his influential crime and action movies. Born in 1955, he directed several critically acclaimed films, including "City on Fire" and "Full Alert."
Lastly, Ringo Bonavena was an Argentine heavyweight boxer who competed in the 1960s and early 1970s. Born in 1942, he was known for his powerful punches and entertaining fighting style, earning him the nickname "The Ringo Kid."
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Ringo throughout history, showcasing its cultural significance and diverse representation across various fields.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Ringo
People
Ringo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ringo 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
Ringo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ringo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 232 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ringo 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 1,477,389 US residents.
Is Ringo a common name?
We classify Ringo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 244 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ringo most popular?
The single biggest year for Ringo was 1965, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ringo is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ringo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ringo 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.