Rufus
Masculine · “red-haired”
Rufus is overwhelmingly a boys’ name — 36,074 boys against 151 girls since 1880.
Rufus is a Roman nickname that stuck: it means red-haired, and it was given to people rather than inherited from them, which makes it one of the most literal names in the language.
How old is the name Rufus?
Rufus was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Rufus alive today was born around 1933, making them about 92 years old. About 12,000 people named Rufus are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Rufus most popular?
Rufus peaked in 1880, reaching #88 nationally. Today it ranks #3949, 3,861 places below that high. See the whole 1880 chart.
Rufus appears on this list:
Where it comes from
From rufus to Rufus
The story of Rufus
The word was a Roman cognomen before it was a name in its own right, and it passed into Christian use through several early figures who carried it, which is how a purely descriptive Latin word survived the fall of the empire. In England it was attached to a king: William II was called Rufus, and the chroniclers say plainly that it was for his coloring. It has been in continuous if quiet use in English ever since.
Meaning
red-haired
Latin rufus, 'red'. Roman third names were often physical descriptions handed to an individual — the red one, the left-handed one, the one with a wart — and this is a clear example. The sense has never been in doubt.
How the name formed
- rufus
- Rufus
Related forms: Rufus · Rufo · Rufo
Pronouncing Rufus
ROO-fuss
Two syllables, stress on the first. The u is long, as in roof.
Nicknames for Rufus
Moderate
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
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 1918721 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #88reached in 1880
- Change vs 2022
- −3.6%27 in 2025, from 28
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.
Rufus in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Rufus in Latin — same name
- Rufo in Italian — same name
- Rufo in Spanish — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Florida, Washington.
Rufuss among us
people named Rufus are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 63,262 born in 2025 was named Rufus
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Rufus sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Rufus is headed
Rufus should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind. Its history is short or jumpy, though, so read this as a sketch rather than a promise.
Low confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Rufus beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Rufus in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A completely transparent meaning, documented from Latin and never contested.
- Continuous use in English for centuries without ever becoming common, which is a rare combination.
- It ends in the same -us as Marcus, Silas and Atticus, all of which have returned to fashion.
- The name is descriptive, and a red-haired child will be told the meaning constantly while a dark-haired one will be asked about it.
- It is a common dog's name in Britain and America, which is worth knowing before the first day of school.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Rufus to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Rufus? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Rufus
Masculine · #3949 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Rufuss are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 12,000 people named Rufus are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Rufus in 2025?
- Rufus ranks #3949 among US boy names in 2025, with 27 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Rufus?
- About 1 in every 63,262 US boys born in 2025 was named Rufus — 27 in all.
- Will my child share the name Rufus with classmates?
- Rufus will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Rufus
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Tillman#3949 · Ashley#3949 · Alfonzo#3949 · Blane#3949 · Brayton#3949 · Omega#3949 · Graeme#3949 · Stewart#3949
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Rufus? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Rufus and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle