| Hugo | Rolf | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Mind, intellect | famous wolf |
| Origin | Germanic | germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | HYOO-goh | ROLF |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2025 (837) | 1960 (96) |
| In 2025 | 837 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Hugo | Rolf |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 4,630 | 25 |
| 2010s | 6,787 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7,324 | 19 |
| 1990s | 5,611 | 75 |
| 1980s | 3,732 | 89 |
| 1970s | 2,271 | 234 |
| 1960s | 1,198 | 662 |
| 1950s | 794 | 663 |
| 1940s | 529 | 434 |
| 1930s | 812 | 419 |
| 1920s | 1,543 | 297 |
| 1910s | 1,412 | 176 |
| 1900s | 251 | 0 |
| 1890s | 311 | 0 |
| 1880s | 277 | 0 |
From the Germanic hug, “mind,” “heart” or “intellect.”
Contracted form of the Germanic/Old Norse Hrodwulf (Hrolfr), from 'hrod' ('fame') and 'wulf/ulfr' ('wolf'), meaning 'famous wolf'. Shares its root with Rudolph and Raoul.
Hugo is more popular than Rolf today: about 837 US babies were given the name Hugo in 2025, compared with 0 named Rolf.
Hugo means Mind, intellect (Germanic origin), while Rolf means famous wolf (germanic origin).
In US records, Hugo first appears in 1880 and Rolf in 0, so Rolf has the longer recorded history.