Rufus
Boy name · #3949 in 2025 · Uniqueness 78/100
Rufus ranks #3949 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 27 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2766, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 66,667 boys born in 2025 was named Rufus.
The 145-year story
Rufus first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 163 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1922, when 737 boys were named Rufus — good for #188 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Rufus per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Rufus against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rufus in class?
Rufus scores 78 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Rufus will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Rufus is most common
State-level data for Rufus is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Rufus
Statistically, parents drawn to Rufus tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Russel, Rudolph, Willis, Merle, and Wilbur.
RusselRudolphWillisMerleWilburHubertRuebenRupert
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rufus | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27 | #3949 |
| 2024 | 26 | #4072 |
| 2023 | 19 | #5075 |
| 2022 | 28 | #3879 |
| 2021 | 25 | #4118 |
| 2020 | 26 | #3918 |
| 2019 | 30 | #3636 |
| 2018 | 26 | #3993 |
| 2017 | 36 | #3193 |
| 2016 | 35 | #3230 |
| 2015 | 43 | #2766 |
| 2014 | 20 | #4702 |
| 2013 | 44 | #2668 |
| 2012 | 30 | #3530 |
| 2011 | 40 | #2904 |
| 2010 | 36 | #3128 |
| 2009 | 24 | #4160 |
| 2008 | 27 | #3823 |
| 2007 | 29 | #3591 |
| 2006 | 36 | #3024 |
| 2005 | 34 | #3022 |
| 2004 | 41 | #2599 |
| 2003 | 28 | #3280 |
| 2002 | 39 | #2504 |
| 2001 | 34 | #2742 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Rufus a popular boy name?
Rufus ranked #3949 among boys in 2025 with 27 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2766.
When was the name Rufus most popular?
Rufus peaked in 1922, when 737 American boys received the name (ranked #188 that year). Since 1922 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Rufus?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 66,667 newborn American boys was named Rufus. It scores 78/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.