Ruppert
A masculine given name of German origin, meaning "bright fame".
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Ruppert. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ruppert today is around 75 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ruppert births was 1926 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ruppert. 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 Ruppert is about 75 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Rupperts were born before 1961.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ruppert. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1926
8 babies that year
Average age
75
years old
1933 SSA rank
#3,579
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Ruppert: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ruppert from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 20 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ruppert 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 Ruppert 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 Ruppert
The name Ruppert originated from the Germanic language and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German name Ruopreht, which is a compound of the words "hruom" meaning "fame" and "beraht" meaning "bright." The name Ruppert essentially translates to "bright in fame" or "famed warrior."
In the early medieval period, the name Ruppert was particularly popular in regions of present-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to around the 8th century, appearing in various monastic records and charters from Germanic territories.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Ruppert was Ruppert of Salzburg, a Benedictine monk and historian who lived in the late 9th century. His work, the Annals of Salzburg, provides a valuable account of the events and rulers of the era.
During the High Middle Ages, the name Ruppert gained prominence as it was borne by several influential figures. Ruppert III, Count of Nassau-Weilburg, who lived from 1294 to 1354, was a prominent German nobleman and military leader during the Hundred Years' War.
In the 15th century, Ruppert of Palatine, also known as Ruprecht III, Prince Elector of the Palatinate, played a significant role in the political and religious affairs of the Holy Roman Empire. He lived from 1352 to 1410 and was a strong supporter of the conciliar movement within the Catholic Church.
Another notable figure was Ruppert, Prince of Bavaria, who lived from 1869 to 1939. He was a member of the Bavarian royal family and served as a general in the German army during World War I.
Ruppert Mayer, a German Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus, lived from 1876 to 1945. He was known for his opposition to the Nazi regime and his efforts to help Jews and other persecuted groups during the Holocaust. Mayer was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1987.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Ruppert, a name with deep roots in the Germanic cultural and linguistic traditions, and one that has been associated with figures of prominence, leadership, and faith over the centuries.
People
Ruppert + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ruppert 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
Ruppert: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ruppert?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ruppert 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Ruppert a common name?
We classify Ruppert as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 31 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ruppert most popular?
The single biggest year for Ruppert was 1926, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ruppert is about 75 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 Ruppert in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ruppert a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ruppert 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 Ruppert still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ruppert 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 Ruppert 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 Americans are named Ruppert?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.