Ralph
Last seen for girls in 1990 at #12,958 · #1,046 for boys in 2025, 211 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1917 · 7,391 births
- Debut · boys
- 317 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 84 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 414,018since 1880
Ralph over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #1,046 | 211 | |
| 2024 | — | #1,145 | 183 | |
| 2023 | — | #1,192 | 169 | |
| 2022 | — | #1,138 | 184 | |
| 2021 | — | #1,111 | 186 | |
| 2020 | — | #1,101 | 180 | |
| 2019 | — | #1,023 | 203 | |
| 2018 | — | #950 | 219 | |
| 2017 | — | #1,066 | 185 | |
| 2016 | — | #993 | 205 | |
| 2015 | — | #1,065 | 186 | |
| 2014 | — | #1,040 | 193 | |
| 2013 | — | #1,008 | 194 | |
| 2012 | — | #1,057 | 180 | |
| 2011 | — | #953 | 208 | |
| 2010 | — | #966 | 205 | |
| 2009 | — | #953 | 211 | |
| 2008 | — | #855 | 248 | |
| 2007 | — | #868 | 239 | |
| 2006 | — | #759 | 278 | |
| 2005 | — | #769 | 258 | |
| 2004 | — | #710 | 270 | |
| 2003 | — | #658 | 300 | |
| 2002 | — | #629 | 314 | |
| 2001 | — | #610 | 319 | |
| 2000 | — | #583 | 342 | |
| 1999 | — | #570 | 343 | |
| 1998 | — | #582 | 333 | |
| 1997 | — | #544 | 364 | |
| 1996 | — | #503 | 415 | |
| 1995 | — | #502 | 413 | |
| 1994 | — | #490 | 422 | |
| 1993 | — | #428 | 520 | |
| 1992 | — | #441 | 499 | |
| 1991 | — | #405 | 562 | |
| 1990 | #12,958 | 5 | #385 | 603 |
| 1989 | — | #347 | 662 | |
| 1988 | #10,386 | 6 | #339 | 628 |
| 1987 | #9,825 | 6 | #297 | 724 |
| 1986 | #9,545 | 6 | #286 | 728 |
| 1985 | #10,677 | 5 | #277 | 753 |
| 1984 | #6,291 | 10 | #270 | 771 |
| 1983 | #10,275 | 5 | #249 | 846 |
| 1982 | — | #243 | 949 | |
| 1981 | #9,110 | 6 | #247 | 898 |
| 1980 | #7,418 | 8 | #229 | 1,039 |
| 1979 | #6,189 | 10 | #216 | 1,080 |
| 1978 | #5,214 | 12 | #205 | 1,079 |
| 1977 | #4,942 | 13 | #187 | 1,253 |
| 1976 | #6,611 | 8 | #193 | 1,161 |
| 1975 | #4,370 | 14 | #173 | 1,343 |
| 1974 | #6,900 | 7 | #174 | 1,371 |
| 1973 | #3,481 | 18 | #157 | 1,558 |
| 1972 | #3,894 | 15 | #159 | 1,671 |
| 1971 | #5,136 | 10 | #149 | 1,991 |
| 1970 | #3,110 | 21 | #147 | 2,248 |
| 1969 | #3,318 | 17 | #126 | 2,416 |
| 1968 | #2,789 | 21 | #127 | 2,325 |
| 1967 | #2,632 | 22 | #117 | 2,553 |
| 1966 | #2,453 | 24 | #112 | 2,783 |
| 1965 | #3,733 | 12 | #103 | 3,225 |
| 1964 | #3,379 | 15 | #103 | 3,564 |
| 1963 | #3,176 | 16 | #99 | 3,931 |
| 1962 | #3,033 | 17 | #97 | 4,180 |
| 1961 | #2,543 | 23 | #95 | 4,443 |
| 1960 | #2,989 | 17 | #89 | 4,770 |
| 1959 | #2,678 | 19 | #84 | 5,048 |
| 1958 | #2,449 | 22 | #78 | 5,453 |
| 1957 | #2,347 | 23 | #76 | 5,709 |
| 1956 | #2,321 | 23 | #67 | 6,041 |
| 1955 | #2,839 | 16 | #67 | 5,965 |
| 1954 | #2,695 | 17 | #61 | 6,311 |
| 1953 | #2,595 | 17 | #59 | 6,513 |
| 1952 | #2,581 | 17 | #56 | 6,469 |
| 1951 | #2,577 | 16 | #51 | 6,525 |
| 1950 | #2,652 | 15 | #52 | 6,406 |
| 1949 | #2,726 | 14 | #50 | 6,748 |
| 1948 | #2,188 | 20 | #51 | 6,915 |
| 1947 | #2,200 | 20 | #50 | 7,389 |
| 1946 | #1,970 | 22 | #48 | 6,587 |
| 1945 | #1,993 | 18 | #44 | 5,785 |
| 1944 | #2,199 | 16 | #42 | 6,273 |
| 1943 | #2,861 | 11 | #40 | 6,771 |
| 1942 | #2,117 | 17 | #38 | 6,637 |
| 1941 | #2,190 | 15 | #38 | 6,040 |
| 1940 | #1,477 | 27 | #37 | 5,838 |
| 1939 | #1,684 | 21 | #35 | 5,959 |
| 1938 | #1,805 | 19 | #35 | 6,013 |
| 1937 | #1,784 | 19 | #34 | 5,923 |
| 1936 | #1,375 | 28 | #31 | 6,029 |
| 1935 | #1,264 | 32 | #32 | 6,090 |
| 1934 | #1,221 | 34 | #31 | 6,282 |
| 1933 | #1,179 | 36 | #29 | 6,185 |
| 1932 | #1,293 | 32 | #27 | 6,727 |
| 1931 | #1,043 | 45 | #25 | 6,960 |
| 1930 | #1,101 | 45 | #25 | 7,634 |
| 1929 | #941 | 58 | #26 | 7,715 |
| 1928 | #994 | 56 | #24 | 8,100 |
| 1927 | #990 | 59 | #24 | 8,434 |
| 1926 | #1,148 | 44 | #24 | 8,455 |
| 1925 | #1,176 | 43 | #25 | 8,467 |
| 1924 | #1,188 | 44 | #23 | 8,766 |
| 1923 | #1,197 | 42 | #23 | 8,629 |
| 1922 | #997 | 56 | #23 | 8,484 |
| 1921 | #1,184 | 42 | #23 | 8,860 |
| 1920 | #1,171 | 42 | #22 | 8,556 |
| 1919 | #1,090 | 45 | #22 | 7,709 |
| 1918 | #1,411 | 30 | #22 | 8,162 |
| 1917 | #1,337 | 30 | #21 | 7,391 |
| 1916 | #1,278 | 32 | #21 | 7,085 |
| 1915 | #1,475 | 24 | #21 | 6,816 |
| 1914 | #1,896 | 13 | #21 | 5,009 |
| 1913 | #1,091 | 25 | #22 | 3,963 |
| 1912 | #1,477 | 14 | #23 | 3,435 |
| 1911 | #1,956 | 7 | #24 | 1,674 |
| 1910 | #1,935 | 7 | #28 | 1,278 |
| 1909 | #2,208 | 5 | #30 | 1,091 |
| 1908 | #1,862 | 6 | #25 | 1,138 |
| 1907 | — | #29 | 997 | |
| 1906 | #1,951 | 5 | #26 | 984 |
| 1905 | — | #27 | 938 | |
| 1904 | — | #28 | 899 | |
| 1903 | #1,792 | 5 | #29 | 807 |
| 1902 | #1,438 | 7 | #28 | 866 |
| 1901 | #1,679 | 5 | #29 | 682 |
| 1900 | — | #31 | 896 | |
| 1899 | #1,596 | 5 | #29 | 742 |
| 1898 | — | #31 | 803 | |
| 1897 | #1,555 | 5 | #32 | 697 |
| 1896 | — | #30 | 746 | |
| 1895 | #1,592 | 5 | #30 | 736 |
| 1894 | #1,485 | 5 | #31 | 692 |
| 1893 | — | #31 | 636 | |
| 1892 | — | #30 | 725 | |
| 1891 | #1,006 | 8 | #28 | 587 |
| 1890 | #1,338 | 5 | #32 | 587 |
| 1889 | #1,279 | 5 | #39 | 495 |
| 1888 | #1,136 | 6 | #36 | 547 |
| 1887 | — | #38 | 463 | |
| 1886 | — | #41 | 440 | |
| 1885 | — | #44 | 422 | |
| 1884 | #1,024 | 5 | #40 | 464 |
| 1883 | — | #45 | 385 | |
| 1882 | — | #43 | 407 | |
| 1881 | — | #45 | 329 | |
| 1880 | — | #54 | 317 | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Ralph was already there! It came in at #54, and was given to 317 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 2007–2025, when fewer than 250 boys a year got the name.
Where Ralph is popular in 1956
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- West Virginia#41 · 1 in 202
- Virginia#46 · 1 in 234
- New York#51 · 1 in 281
- Arizona#52 · 1 in 228
- Rhode Island#52 · 1 in 279
Best ever in a state: #8 in Idaho, 1914.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | #41 | 107 | 1 in 202 |
| Virginia | #46 | 190 | 1 in 234 |
| New York | #51 | 628 | 1 in 281 |
| Arizona | #52 | 62 | 1 in 228 |
| Rhode Island | #52 | 33 | 1 in 279 |
| New Jersey | #53 | 211 | 1 in 279 |
| New Mexico | #53 | 54 | 1 in 225 |
| Alaska | #54 | 14 | 1 in 227 |
| Massachusetts | #55 | 154 | 1 in 361 |
| Ohio | #55 | 379 | 1 in 305 |
| Connecticut | #58 | 80 | 1 in 309 |
| Florida | #58 | 170 | 1 in 278 |
| California | #59 | 541 | 1 in 310 |
| Kentucky | #59 | 126 | 1 in 288 |
| District of Columbia | #60 | 46 | 1 in 325 |
| Vermont | #60 | 14 | 1 in 282 |
| Maryland | #63 | 101 | 1 in 313 |
| New Hampshire | #63 | 17 | 1 in 347 |
| Arkansas | #64 | 62 | 1 in 328 |
| Pennsylvania | #64 | 375 | 1 in 328 |
| North Carolina | #66 | 183 | 1 in 303 |
| Tennessee | #66 | 131 | 1 in 313 |
| Illinois | #67 | 282 | 1 in 398 |
| Delaware | #68 | 14 | 1 in 357 |
| Georgia | #68 | 168 | 1 in 299 |
| Indiana | #68 | 138 | 1 in 401 |
| Missouri | #69 | 126 | 1 in 382 |
| Montana | #69 | 24 | 1 in 329 |
| Maine | #71 | 29 | 1 in 358 |
| South Carolina | #72 | 109 | 1 in 282 |
| Michigan | #73 | 254 | 1 in 394 |
| Utah | #73 | 34 | 1 in 353 |
| Kansas | #74 | 69 | 1 in 359 |
| Wyoming | #77 | 11 | 1 in 319 |
| Mississippi | #79 | 81 | 1 in 352 |
| Wisconsin | #79 | 99 | 1 in 462 |
| Alabama | #80 | 107 | 1 in 374 |
| Texas | #87 | 330 | 1 in 375 |
| Nevada | #90 | 7 | 1 in 384 |
| Idaho | #91 | 18 | 1 in 403 |
| Louisiana | #92 | 107 | 1 in 395 |
| Oregon | #93 | 36 | 1 in 497 |
| Colorado | #94 | 43 | 1 in 474 |
| Hawaii | #99 | 19 | 1 in 388 |
| Oklahoma | #100 | 51 | 1 in 487 |
| Minnesota | #101 | 60 | 1 in 666 |
| Washington | #105 | 59 | 1 in 539 |
| North Dakota | #106 | 13 | 1 in 571 |
| Iowa | #108 | 42 | 1 in 731 |
| Nebraska | #110 | 24 | 1 in 668 |
| South Dakota | #151 | 9 | 1 in 913 |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Ralph
- 99 spots since 2024 (#1,145 → #1,046)
- 55 spots since 2020 (#1,101 → #1,046)
- 19 spots since 2015 (#1,065 → #1,046)
- Biggest jump: 116 spots in 2018 (#1,066 → #950)
- Biggest drop: 109 spots in 2007 (#759 → #868)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1917 at #21 (7,391 births)
- Births halved by 1964, 47 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 84 yrs · run 1880–1963
- Top 1,000: 134 yrs · run 1880–2011
- Highest: 1 in 124 boys born in 1918 were named Ralph (0.81%)
- Latest: 1 in 8,095 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #21 in 1917, was only 1 in 125 (0.80%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 20.4% of all boys named Ralph (84,466) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,269 | #36 (1888) | #43 |
| 1890s | 6,951 | #28 (1891) | #30 |
| 1900s | 9,298 | #25 (1908) | #28 |
| 1910s | 52,522 | #21 (1917) | #23 |
| 1920s | 84,466 | #22 (1920) | #24 |
| 1930s | 63,802 | #25 (1930) | #30 |
| 1940s | 64,983 | #37 (1940) | #44 |
| 1950s | 60,440 | #51 (1951) | #65 |
| 1960s | 34,190 | #89 (1960) | #107 |
| 1970s | 14,755 | #147 (1970) | #176 |
| 1980s | 7,998 | #229 (1980) | #278 |
| 1990s | 4,474 | #385 (1990) | #485 |
| 2000s | 2,779 | #583 (2000) | #739 |
| 2010s | 1,978 | #950 (2018) | #1,012 |
| 2020s | 1,113 | #1,046 (2025) | #1,122 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Ralph in 1956
Top girls' names in 1956
Top boys' names in 1956
More about 1956
girls
2,007,703 girls got a published name in 1956; 1 in 87,291 of them was named Ralph, which outranked 66.3% of the 6,891 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #2,249Tony24
- #2,249Willia24
- #2,249Zora24
- #2,321Ralph23
- #2,321Alissa23
- #2,321Annamaria23
- #2,321Ashley23
- #2,389Alycia22
- #2,389Alyse22
- #2,389Anabel22
Tied with 67 names at #2,321; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
2,115,302 boys got a published name in 1956; 1 in 350 of them was named Ralph, which outranked 98.5% of the 4,455 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 31.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.