Rolfe
Masculine · “famous wolf”
Rolfe is the Norse Rolf with an English e, a short, sturdy name meaning famous wolf. Its best-known bearer changed the economy of colonial Virginia and married Pocahontas.
How old is the name Rolfe?
Rolfe first appears in US birth records in 1912 — 113 years ago. The typical Rolfe alive today was born around 1944, making them about 81 years old. About 200 people named Rolfe are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Rolfe most popular?
Rolfe peaked in 1939, reaching #1636 nationally. See the whole 1939 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Hróðulfr to Rolfe
The story of Rolfe
John Rolfe arrived at Jamestown after a shipwreck, planted a sweeter strain of tobacco than the harsh local leaf, and in doing so gave Virginia the crop that would make its fortune. He married Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, and took her to England, where she died. His surname came from the Norse name Rolf, which the Vikings brought to England. Rolfe keeps a final e that the Norse name never had.
Meaning
famous wolf
From Old Norse Hrólfr, a contraction of Hróðulfr, joining fame and wolf. Rolfe is an English spelling.
How the name formed
- Hróðulfr
- Hrólfr
- Rolf
- Rolfe
Related forms: Rolf · Rolf · Hrólfr
Pronouncing Rolfe
RAHLF
One syllable; the final e is silent.
Nicknames for Rolfe
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1912
- Most boys named
- 195520 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1636reached in 1939
- Change vs 1971
- −16.7%5 in 1974, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Rolfe in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Rolf in German — same name
- Rolf in Swedish — same name
- Hrólfr in Old Norse — related form
Rolfes among us
people named Rolfe are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Rolfe sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It has a clear meaning and a long history.
- It is short and strong.
- People will write Rolf or Ralph.
- Its most famous bearer is tied to the early history of tobacco and colonization.
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Rolfe
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Rolfes are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 200 people named Rolfe are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Rolfe in 2025?
- Rolfe is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Rolfe with classmates?
- Rolfe will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More R names
The most-given names starting with R, all years combined.
Robert#92 · Richard#234 · Ronald#637 · Ryan#99 · Raymond#394 · Roger#832 · Ralph#1046 · Roy#525
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Rolfe? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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