Rudd
A diminutive English masculine name meaning "ruddy" or "reddish complexion".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Rudd. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rudd today is around 70 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rudd births was 1921 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rudd. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Rudd is about 70 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rudds were born before 1966.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rudd. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1921
5 babies that year
Average age
70
years old
1955 SSA rank
#4,308
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Rudd: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rudd from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 5 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
Rudd 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 Rudd 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 Rudd
The given name Rudd has its origins in the Old English language, deriving from the Germanic root word "hrudu," which means "redness" or "ruddy complexion." This name likely emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD, when Old English was the predominant language spoken in what is now England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rudd can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as a surname in this document, indicating its use as a personal name predates this time.
During the Middle Ages, the name Rudd was associated with individuals of fair complexion or those with reddish hair or ruddy cheeks. It was a descriptive name that served to distinguish individuals based on their physical appearance, a common practice in that era.
Among the notable historical figures who bore the name Rudd, one can mention Rudd of Warwick, an English knight who lived in the 12th century and whose exploits were chronicled in the medieval romance "Guy of Warwick." Another prominent individual was Rudd le Chaumpeneys, a Norman landowner who held estates in Wiltshire, England, in the 13th century.
In the 16th century, Rudd Barnfield (1575-1627) was an English poet and writer, best known for his collection of poems titled "The Encomion of Lady Pecunia" published in 1598. Later, in the 17th century, Rudd Owen (1617-1688) was a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects.
Moving forward, one cannot overlook the contribution of Rudd Whitehead (1789-1878), an English-born American farmer and businessman who played a significant role in the early development of the city of Watertown, New York, in the 19th century.
Throughout its history, the name Rudd has maintained its association with physical attributes, particularly those related to reddish hues and complexions. While its usage may have waxed and waned over the centuries, it has endured as a distinctive and evocative given name with deep roots in the English language and culture.
People
Rudd + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rudd 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
Rudd: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rudd?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rudd 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Rudd a common name?
We classify Rudd as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rudd most popular?
The single biggest year for Rudd was 1921, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rudd is about 70 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Rudd in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rudd a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rudd 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.
Is Rudd still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rudd in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Rudd can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Rudd?
Find out how many Americans are named Rudd on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.