| Ralph | Hudson | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | counsel wolf | Son of Hugh |
| Origin | english | English |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | RALF | HUD-sun |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1921 (8,860) | 2025 (8,583) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 8,583 |
| Trend | Vintage | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ralph | Hudson |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,113 | 46,951 |
| 2010s | 1,978 | 51,463 |
| 2000s | 2,779 | 12,220 |
| 1990s | 4,474 | 1,496 |
| 1980s | 7,998 | 294 |
| 1970s | 14,755 | 133 |
| 1960s | 34,190 | 146 |
| 1950s | 60,440 | 200 |
| 1940s | 64,983 | 235 |
| 1930s | 63,802 | 255 |
| 1920s | 84,466 | 384 |
| 1910s | 52,522 | 334 |
| 1900s | 9,298 | 75 |
| 1890s | 6,951 | 67 |
| 1880s | 4,269 | 34 |
Contracted from the Germanic/Old Norse name Radulf (Radulfr, Old English Raedwulf), combining 'rad' ('counsel, advice') and 'wulf/ulfr' ('wolf'), hence 'counsel wolf'.
Hudson comes from an English surname meaning “son of Hudde,” a medieval pet form of Hugh or Richard. It also recalls the Hudson River, named for explorer Henry Hudson.
Hudson is more popular than Ralph today: about 8,583 US babies were given the name Hudson in 2025, compared with 0 named Ralph.
Ralph means counsel wolf (english origin), while Hudson means Son of Hugh (English origin).
In US records, Ralph first appears in 0 and Hudson in 1880, so Ralph has the longer recorded history.