Ralf
Boy · RALF · Old Norse
Ralf is a boys' name of Old Norse origin, meaning “counsel wolf”. In 2025 it ranked 1,964th for boys in the UK (13 babies).
What does Ralf mean?
Old Norse: German and Scandinavian form of Ralph
“counsel wolf”
The German and Scandinavian form of Ralph, from Norse and Germanic elements for counsel and wolf.
- Say it
- RALF
Is Ralf a girl's or a boy's name?
Ralf is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 13 boys in the UK. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Ralf in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,964among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 13about 1 in 23,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 27% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 13 boys in the UK were named Ralf, making it the 1,964th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,241st. Its busiest year was 2020, with 23 boys.
Half of all the boys named Ralf in the UK since 1996 were born between 2008 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 573 boys in the UK were given Ralf or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #112, up from #1,964 for this spelling alone.
- Ralph 560
- Ralf 13
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,894th in England and Wales.
Ralf in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | #1,964 |
| 2024 | 17 | #1,585 |
| 2023 | 13 | #1,917 |
| 2022 | 19 | #1,452 |
| 2021 | 12 | #1,969 |
| 2020 | 23 | #1,241 |
| 2019 | 17 | #1,543 |
| 2018 | 19 | #1,416 |
| 2017 | 16 | #1,649 |
| 2016 | 12 | #2,007 |
| 2015 | 18 | #1,476 |
| 2014 | 9 | #2,378 |
| 2013 | 14 | #1,715 |
| 2012 | 12 | #1,956 |
| 2011 | 9 | #2,311 |
| 2010 | 12 | #1,887 |
| 2009 | 18 | #1,391 |
| 2008 | 13 | #1,696 |
| 2007 | 8 | #2,337 |
| 2006 | 8 | #2,193 |
| 2005 | 10 | #1,814 |
| 2004 | 13 | #1,417 |
| 2003 | 8 | #1,880 |
| 2002 | 8 | #1,728 |
| 2001 | 7 | #1,833 |
| 2000 | 3 | #3,146 |
| 1999 | 5 | #2,184 |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 3 | #2,979 |
Names like Ralf
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ronnie Reuben Arthur Rupert Rex Archie Alfred Frederick Freddie Raees George Louie
Other spellings of Ralf
Names related to Ralf
More Old Norse names
Freya Eric Astrid Colby Rafe Odin Ralphie Erik Freyja Erick Bo Ronald Bjorn Erica Raife Ivar