Rufus is a distinctive choice, ranked #494 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Rufus in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#494
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About the Name Rufus
Rufus has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 111 places in five years. It was most popular in 2012 at #236 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Rufus is fairly common in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Rufus in their class.
Rufus Payne — Rufus "Tee Tot" Payne was an early-20th-century African-American blues musician from Greenville, Alabama, who was more widely known by his nickname Tee Tot.
Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading — Rufus Daniel Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading, known as the Earl of Reading from 1917 to 1926, was a British Liberal politician and judge, who served as Lord Chief Justice of England, Viceroy of India, and Foreign Secretary, the last Liberal to hold that post.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Rufus
Unlikely. With around 78 UK babies named Rufus per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Rufus in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Rufus is declining: down 183 places since 2020, to #494 in 2025. It peaked at #236 in 2012.
Rufus is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Rufus include: Rufus Tiger Taylor, Rufus Payne and Rufus Gifford. Short summaries for each appear below.
Rufus does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Rufuss in the wild.
78
UK babies named Rufus (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↓ 183 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Rufus
Almost certainly the only Rufus in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Rufus
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Rufus "Tee Tot" Payne was an early-20th-century African-American blues musician from Greenville, Alabama, who was more widely known by his nickname Tee Tot.
Rufus Daniel Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading, known as the Earl of Reading from 1917 to 1926, was a British Liberal politician and judge, who served as Lord Chief Justice of England, Viceroy of India, and Foreign Secretary, the last Liberal to hold that post.