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

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1917 · 7,391 births
Debut · boys
317 births
In top 100 · boys
84 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
414,018
since 1880

Ralph over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201986peak #21, 1917boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#1,046211
2024—#1,145183
2023—#1,192169
2022—#1,138184
2021—#1,111186
2020—#1,101180
2019—#1,023203
2018—#950219
2017—#1,066185
2016—#993205
2015—#1,065186
2014—#1,040193
2013—#1,008194
2012—#1,057180
2011—#953208
2010—#966205
2009—#953211
2008—#855248
2007—#868239
2006—#759278
2005—#769258
2004—#710270
2003—#658300
2002—#629314
2001—#610319
2000—#583342
1999—#570343
1998—#582333
1997—#544364
1996—#503415
1995—#502413
1994—#490422
1993—#428520
1992—#441499
1991—#405562
1990#12,9585#385603
1989—#347662
1988#10,3866#339628
1987#9,8256#297724
1986#9,5456#286728
1985#10,6775#277753
1984#6,29110#270771
1983#10,2755#249846
1982—#243949
1981#9,1106#247898
1980#7,4188#2291,039
1979#6,18910#2161,080
1978#5,21412#2051,079
1977#4,94213#1871,253
1976#6,6118#1931,161
1975#4,37014#1731,343
1974#6,9007#1741,371
1973#3,48118#1571,558
1972#3,89415#1591,671
1971#5,13610#1491,991
1970#3,11021#1472,248
1969#3,31817#1262,416
1968#2,78921#1272,325
1967#2,63222#1172,553
1966#2,45324#1122,783
1965#3,73312#1033,225
1964#3,37915#1033,564
1963#3,17616#993,931
1962#3,03317#974,180
1961#2,54323#954,443
1960#2,98917#894,770
1959#2,67819#845,048
1958#2,44922#785,453
1957#2,34723#765,709
1956#2,32123#676,041
1955#2,83916#675,965
1954#2,69517#616,311
1953#2,59517#596,513
1952#2,58117#566,469
1951#2,57716#516,525
1950#2,65215#526,406
1949#2,72614#506,748
1948#2,18820#516,915
1947#2,20020#507,389
1946#1,97022#486,587
1945#1,99318#445,785
1944#2,19916#426,273
1943#2,86111#406,771
1942#2,11717#386,637
1941#2,19015#386,040
1940#1,47727#375,838
1939#1,68421#355,959
1938#1,80519#356,013
1937#1,78419#345,923
1936#1,37528#316,029
1935#1,26432#326,090
1934#1,22134#316,282
1933#1,17936#296,185
1932#1,29332#276,727
1931#1,04345#256,960
1930#1,10145#257,634
1929#94158#267,715
1928#99456#248,100
1927#99059#248,434
1926#1,14844#248,455
1925#1,17643#258,467
1924#1,18844#238,766
1923#1,19742#238,629
1922#99756#238,484
1921#1,18442#238,860
1920#1,17142#228,556
1919#1,09045#227,709
1918#1,41130#228,162
1917#1,33730#217,391
1916#1,27832#217,085
1915#1,47524#216,816
1914#1,89613#215,009
1913#1,09125#223,963
1912#1,47714#233,435
1911#1,9567#241,674
1910#1,9357#281,278
1909#2,2085#301,091
1908#1,8626#251,138
1907—#29997
1906#1,9515#26984
1905—#27938
1904—#28899
1903#1,7925#29807
1902#1,4387#28866
1901#1,6795#29682
1900—#31896
1899#1,5965#29742
1898—#31803
1897#1,5555#32697
1896—#30746
1895#1,5925#30736
1894#1,4855#31692
1893—#31636
1892—#30725
1891#1,0068#28587
1890#1,3385#32587
1889#1,2795#39495
1888#1,1366#36547
1887—#38463
1886—#41440
1885—#44422
1884#1,0245#40464
1883—#45385
1882—#43407
1881—#45329
1880—#54317
First appearance
1880

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 1986

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedNHWashington: #397 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,472 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedMNIllinois: #371 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 3,628 boysILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedWIMichigan: #262 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 2,775 boysMINew York: #178 for boys · 96 births · 1 in 1,273 boysNYMassachusetts: #177 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 1,783 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedIAIndiana: #335 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 4,106 boysINOhio: #217 for boys · 34 births · 1 in 2,220 boysOHPennsylvania: #222 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 2,206 boysPANew Jersey: #222 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,830 boysNJConnecticut: #170 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,451 boysCTCalifornia: #300 for boys · 99 births · 1 in 2,306 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedUTColorado: #337 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,596 boysCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedNEMissouri: #235 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 2,248 boysMOKentucky: #181 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,595 boysKYWest Virginia: #174 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,389 boysWVVirginia: #279 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 2,521 boysVAMaryland: #238 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 2,021 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedDEArizona: #311 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,474 boysAZNew Mexico: #200 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,032 boysNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedKSArkansas: #263 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,109 boysARTennessee: #301 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,847 boysTNNorth Carolina: #289 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 2,555 boysNCSouth Carolina: #252 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,757 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #458 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,783 boysLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedMSAlabama: #373 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,611 boysALGeorgia: #233 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 1,637 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Ralph, so not publishedHITexas: #343 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 2,710 boysTXFlorida: #242 for boys · 45 births · 1 in 1,698 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Connecticut#170 · 1 in 1,451
  2. West Virginia#174 · 1 in 1,389
  3. Massachusetts#177 · 1 in 1,783
  4. New York#178 · 1 in 1,273
  5. Kentucky#181 · 1 in 1,595

Best ever in a state: #8 in Idaho, 1914.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Connecticut#170141 in 1,451
West Virginia#17481 in 1,389
Massachusetts#177221 in 1,783
New York#178961 in 1,273
Kentucky#181151 in 1,595
New Mexico#200111 in 1,032
Ohio#217341 in 2,220
New Jersey#222261 in 1,830
Pennsylvania#222351 in 2,206
Georgia#233271 in 1,637
Missouri#235161 in 2,248
Maryland#238141 in 2,021
Florida#242451 in 1,698
South Carolina#252121 in 1,757
Michigan#262231 in 2,775
Arkansas#26371 in 2,109
Virginia#279151 in 2,521
North Carolina#289161 in 2,555
California#300991 in 2,306
Tennessee#301111 in 2,847
Arizona#311111 in 2,474
Indiana#33591 in 4,106
Colorado#33771 in 3,596
Texas#343541 in 2,710
Illinois#371221 in 3,628
Alabama#37371 in 3,611
Washington#39771 in 4,472
Louisiana#45891 in 3,783
Alaska———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Maine———
Minnesota———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

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
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 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)
Rise & fade · boys
37 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1917 at #21 (7,391 births)
  • Births halved by 1964, 47 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 84 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 84 yrs · run 1880–1963
  • Top 1,000: 134 yrs · run 1880–2011
Share of babies · boys
1 in 124
  • 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
Era · boys
The 1920s
  • 20.4% of all boys named Ralph (84,466) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s4,269#36 (1888)#43
1890s6,951#28 (1891)#30
1900s9,298#25 (1908)#28
1910s52,522#21 (1917)#23
1920s84,466#22 (1920)#24
1930s63,802#25 (1930)#30
1940s64,983#37 (1940)#44
1950s60,440#51 (1951)#65
1960s34,190#89 (1960)#107
1970s14,755#147 (1970)#176
1980s7,998#229 (1980)#278
1990s4,474#385 (1990)#485
2000s2,779#583 (2000)#739
2010s1,978#950 (2018)#1,012
2020s1,113#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 1986

girls
#9,545
6 births · 1 in 285,925 girls
boys
#286
728 births · 1 in 2,530 boys

Top girls' names in 1986

  1. #1Jessica52,682
  2. #2Ashley49,671
  3. #3Amanda40,532
  4. #4Jennifer36,187
  5. #5Sarah28,163
  6. #6Stephanie22,651
  7. #7Nicole21,292
  8. #8Brittany20,313
  9. #9Heather19,790
  10. #10Elizabeth19,074
  11. #9,545Ralph6

Top boys' names in 1986

  1. #1Michael64,235
  2. #2Christopher56,693
  3. #3Matthew46,929
  4. #4Joshua37,542
  5. #5David37,150
  6. #6Daniel36,573
  7. #7James34,057
  8. #8Andrew33,858
  9. #9Robert31,350
  10. #10John30,209
  11. #286Ralph728
More about 1986

girls

1,715,547 girls got a published name in 1986; 1 in 285,925 of them was named Ralph, which outranked 25.6% of the 12,836 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Ralph
  1. #8,523Zona7
  2. #8,523Zsazsa7
  3. #8,523Zulay7
  4. #9,545Ralph6
  5. #9,545Aasiya6
  6. #9,545Abrianna6
  7. #9,545Adaeze6
  8. #10,912Aamanda5
  9. #10,912Abegail5
  10. #10,912Abel5

Tied with 1,366 names at #9,545; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1985
Risers
  1. ↑ 9,719Kyrie#10,677 → #958
  2. ↑ 4,778Sable#5,678 → #900
  3. ↑ 2,034Eliana#2,484 → #450
  4. ↑ 1,497Shatara#2,484 → #987
  5. ↑ 1,374Cherrelle#2,253 → #879
Fallers
  1. ↓ 442Violeta#963 → #1,405
  2. ↓ 361Micaela#545 → #906
  3. ↓ 361Tasia#572 → #933
  4. ↓ 324Jo#925 → #1,249
  5. ↓ 306Tammie#987 → #1,293

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,841,515 boys got a published name in 1986; 1 in 2,530 of them was named Ralph, which outranked 96.3% of the 7,830 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Ralph
  1. #282Marshall744
  2. #284Marcos738
  3. #284Ray738
  4. #286Ralph728
  5. #287Wade727
  6. #288Johnathon726
  7. #289Andy718
Biggest movers since 1985
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,279Spenser#2,226 → #947
  2. ↑ 920Jayce#1,614 → #694
  3. ↑ 714Addison#1,228 → #514
  4. ↑ 649Payton#1,614 → #965
  5. ↑ 573Cordell#1,181 → #608
Fallers
  1. ↓ 409Ulises#877 → #1,286
  2. ↓ 365Eliot#934 → #1,299
  3. ↓ 322Jordy#998 → #1,320
  4. ↓ 313Trace#956 → #1,269
  5. ↓ 292Kennith#963 → #1,255

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1986 →