| Ralph | Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | counsel wolf | Lake colony |
| Origin | english | English |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | RALF | LINK-un |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1921 (8,860) | 2017 (8,202) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 4,703 |
| Trend | Vintage | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ralph | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,113 | 33,535 |
| 2010s | 1,978 | 52,017 |
| 2000s | 2,779 | 8,804 |
| 1990s | 4,474 | 1,693 |
| 1980s | 7,998 | 1,158 |
| 1970s | 14,755 | 1,318 |
| 1960s | 34,190 | 1,260 |
| 1950s | 60,440 | 818 |
| 1940s | 64,983 | 845 |
| 1930s | 63,802 | 852 |
| 1920s | 84,466 | 1,302 |
| 1910s | 52,522 | 905 |
| 1900s | 9,298 | 176 |
| 1890s | 6,951 | 141 |
| 1880s | 4,269 | 94 |
Contracted from the Germanic/Old Norse name Radulf (Radulfr, Old English Raedwulf), combining 'rad' ('counsel, advice') and 'wulf/ulfr' ('wolf'), hence 'counsel wolf'.
An English place name, from Roman Lindum Colonia, “colony by the pool.” Borne by a US president.
Lincoln is more popular than Ralph today: about 4,703 US babies were given the name Lincoln in 2025, compared with 0 named Ralph.
Ralph means counsel wolf (english origin), while Lincoln means Lake colony (English origin).
In US records, Ralph first appears in 0 and Lincoln in 1880, so Ralph has the longer recorded history.