Meaning and history
Rudolf comes from the Germanic name Hrodulf, formed from hruod meaning “fame” and wolf meaning “wolf.” It was borne by three kings of Burgundy and a king of West Francia, as well as several Habsburg rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria. The name was also used by Anthony Hope for the hero of his popular 1894 novel The Prisoner of Zenda.
20052005: no US SSA record for this spelling
2006: 5 births, rank #12,055
2007: 8 births, rank #8,915
2008: 8 births, rank #9,019
2009: 6 births, rank #10,994
20102010: 6 births, rank #10,766
2011: no US SSA record for this spelling
2012: no US SSA record for this spelling
2013: 5 births, rank #12,136
2014: no US SSA record for this spelling
20152015: no US SSA record for this spelling
2016: 7 births, rank #9,664
2017: 8 births, rank #8,840
2018: 8 births, rank #8,819
2019: 7 births, rank #9,756
20202020: 8 births, rank #8,739
2021: 5 births, rank #12,146
2022: 8 births, rank #8,990
2023: 6 births, rank #10,821
20242024: 6 births, rank #10,938
Rudolf moved from #977 to #985 for boys between 1932 and 1941. Its highest annual birth count came in 1927, with 82 births.