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Boy name · Germanic

Rolf

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: famous wolf

Rolf is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "famous wolf". It is used in German and Scandinavian.

Meaning
Famous wolf
Origin
Germanic
Gender
Boy
US rank
#13496 in 2025

Meaning and origin of Rolf

As a boy's name, Rolf comes from Germanic and means "famous wolf". It is used in German and Scandinavian.

Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names

Rolf on Nomezo lists

What our editors wrote about Rolf on 3 lists.

  • “Famous wolf; Germanic, contracted from Rudolf”

    From German boy names, old-fashioned German boy names

  • “Famous wolf; German and Scandinavian, a contraction of the old name behind Rudolf”

    From Names that mean wolf, boy names that mean wolf

  • “Famous wolf; the Viking Rollo, first ruler of Normandy”

    From Viking names, names of famous Vikings

How popular is Rolf?

US rank in 2025
#13,496
5 babies, 3 per million boys
Best rank
#781 in 1960
96 babies that year
Babies since 1912
At least 3,103
Years with under 5 are not listed
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 1930s, at 40 per million.
Babies named Rolf per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 1930s
1880s0 per million
1890s0 per million
1900s0 per million
1910s26 per million
1920s27 per million
1930s40 per million
1940s29 per million
1950s33 per million
1960s34 per million
1970s14 per million
1980s5 per million
1990s4 per million
2000s1 per million
2010s1 per million
2020s2 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Rank–#13,849––#11,734–#9,662–#12,064#13,496

Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.

Other forms of Rolf

The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.

  • RodolfoFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
  • RodolpheFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
  • RudiFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
  • RudolfFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
  • RudolphFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
  • RudyFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)
  • RuediFamous wolf (Germanic, boy)

Names spelled like Rolf

One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.

  • RalfCounsel wolf (Germanic, boy)
  • RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • RossHeadland, promontory (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
  • RoyRed (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
  • RoiFamous ruler (Germanic, boy)
  • RolloFamous wolf (Old Norse, boy)
  • RomHeight (Hebrew, unisex)
  • RonSong, joy (Hebrew, boy)

Names with a similar meaning

  • LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
  • BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
  • ClotildeFamous battle (Germanic, girl)
  • LouisFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
  • LuisaFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
  • RolandFamous land (Germanic, boy)
  • AloysiusFamous warrior (Germanic, boy)
  • ConanLittle hound or little wolf (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • FaolánLittle wolf (Irish Gaelic, boy)
  • IngolfIng's wolf (Old Norse, boy)

Middle names for Rolf

Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.

More boy names from Germanic

  • HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
  • LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
  • RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
  • LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
  • LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
  • AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
  • AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
  • AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
  • ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
  • ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)

Rolf: common questions

What does the name Rolf mean?

Rolf comes from Germanic and means "famous wolf".

Is Rolf a boy or girl name?

Rolf is mainly a boy's name.

Where does the name Rolf come from?

Rolf comes from Germanic and means "famous wolf". Today it is used in German and Scandinavian.

How popular is the name Rolf?

Rolf ranked #13,496 in the US in 2025, with 5 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

What are other forms of Rolf?

Forms of Rolf with the same meaning and origin include Rodolfo (Italian), Rodolphe (French), Rudi (German), Rudolf (German) and Rudolph (English).

What middle names go with Rolf?

Middle names that flow well with Rolf include Atticus, Benjamin, Carter, Francis and Lucian. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.