# Rolf (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/rolf/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys |
| Origin | not recorded |
| Meaning | not recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ɹɒlf/, 1 syllable |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 3,103 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 3,103 / 0 (0% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | not in the ONS data |

## Etymology

From Old Norse Hrólfr, and from its Old French equivalent, cognates of Rudolph. Brought to England by the Normans, survived in surnames and was revived in the 19th century, partly due to its modern Scandinavian cognate.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 10 | 5,795 |
| 1995 | 7 | 7,638 |
| 1996 | 8 | 6,983 |
| 1997 | 5 | 10,494 |
| 1998 | 8 | 7,413 |
| 1999 | 6 | 9,651 |
| 2000 | 5 | 11,777 |
| 2001 | 5 | 11,943 |
| 2003 | 9 | 7,706 |
| 2014 | 5 | 13,659 |
| 2017 | 5 | 13,849 |
| 2020 | 6 | 11,734 |
| 2022 | 8 | 9,662 |
| 2024 | 6 | 12,064 |
| 2025 | 5 | 13,496 |

## People named Rolf

- Rolf Nevanlinna, Finnish mathematician (1895–1980) known for his research in complex analysis
- Rolf Harris, Australian entertainer (1930–2023)
- Rolf Danneberg, German discus thrower
- Rolf Singer, German mycologist (1906–1994)
- Rolf Sørensen, Danish cyclist, born 1965
- Rolf Hoppe, German actor (1930–2018)
- Rolf Rüssmann, German footballer (1950-2009)
- Rolf Carls, German admiral (1885–1945)
- Rolf Landauer, American-German physicist, engineer (1927-1999)
- Rolf Zacher, German actor (1941–2018)
- Rolf Gölz, German cyclist
- Rolf Saxon, American actor

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.