Rufe
A Latinized form of the Germanic name Rudolph, meaning "famous wolf".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Rufe. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rufe today is around 98 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rufe births was 1918 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rufe. 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 Rufe is about 98 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rufes were born before 1938.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Rufe. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1918
9 babies that year
Average age
98
years old
1931 SSA rank
#4,237
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Rufe: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rufe from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 24 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rufe 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 Rufe 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 Rufe
The name Rufe is derived from the Old English word "rudh," which means "red" or "ruddy." This name originated in England and was particularly popular during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rufe can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name likely referred to someone with a reddish complexion or hair color.
During the medieval period, Rufe was a common name among the Anglo-Saxon population. It was sometimes used as a nickname or shortened form of longer names like Rufus or Rudolph.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Rufe appeared in the chronicles of the English historian William of Malmesbury. This Rufe was a monk and skilled calligrapher who worked at the Benedictine monastery in Malmesbury.
Another historical figure bearing the name Rufe was Sir Rufe de Glanville, a prominent English military commander and Lord Chief Justice during the reign of King Henry II in the late 12th century.
In the 15th century, a Franciscan friar named Rufe Woodall gained recognition for his writings on Christian theology and his contributions to the religious reforms of the time.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Puritan soldier named Rufe Grigsby fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was noted for his bravery in several battles.
In the world of literature, one notable bearer of the name Rufe was the English poet Rufe Langford, who lived in the late 18th century and wrote several acclaimed works celebrating the natural beauty of the English countryside.
People
Rufe + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rufe 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
Rufe: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rufe?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rufe 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Rufe a common name?
We classify Rufe as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 29 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rufe most popular?
The single biggest year for Rufe was 1918, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rufe is about 98 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 Rufe in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Rufe a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rufe 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 Rufe still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Rufe 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 Rufe 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 have Rufe as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.