Boys' name · peaked in 1934
Rudy name popularity since 1925
49,665 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Rudy (2.2% girls, 97.8% boys). Half of them were born in 1969 or earlier, so the typical Rudy is about 57 years old in 2026. Rudy peaked in 1934 as the #246 name for boys, and it ranked #739 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 49,665
- Named Rudy, 1925–2025
- Peak year
- 1934
- #246 for boys that year
- In 2025
- #739
- for boys in 2025 (354 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 97.8% boys
- 1,083 girls · 48,582 boys
- Most popular in
- New Mexico
- 7.38× its national share
Peak year is the year Rudy made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Rudy births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year by count was 1960. Measured as a share of all babies, Rudy peaked in 1934.
- Fastest rise: Between 1925 and 1930, Rudy became 2.1× more common.
Shaded on the chart. This compares Rudy's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Rudy.
Decade by decade
Babies named Rudy in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 49 | 1,640 | – |
| 1930s | 81 | 4,213 | #260 |
| 1940s | 73 | 5,785 | #256 |
| 1950s | 96 | 6,894 | #277 |
| 1960s | 80 | 6,348 | #313 |
| 1970s | 85 | 4,926 | #355 |
| 1980s | 144 | 5,355 | #358 |
| 1990s | 162 | 5,049 | #461 |
| 2000s | 80 | 3,828 | #584 |
| 2010s | 118 | 2,739 | #846 |
| 2020–25 | 115 | 1,805 | #739 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
27.1% of babies named Rudy from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Baby Boom years (1946–1964). The full split by generation:
Where Rudy is most popular
The index compares Rudy's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Rudy.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 7.38× | 1,797 |
| Arizona | 3.54× | 2,021 |
| Texas | 3.34× | 11,543 |
| California | 3.02× | 14,081 |
| Colorado | 2.11× | 1,143 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Rudy's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Rudy.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Rudy (1934).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data