Given name & surname
Rodolfo
“glorious wolf”
Rodolfo is a masculine given name from Latin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic. It is used in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Tagalog.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Rodolfo goes back to Proto-Germanic *Hrōþiwulfaz, meaning “glorious wolf.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
Rodolfo is a variant of Rudolph. An origin associated with Rudolph is German. Rodolfo is a form of Rudolf. An origin associated with Rudolf is Germanic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
From Latin Rudolphus, from Proto-Germanic *Hrōþiwulfaz (“glorious wolf”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1902. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Rodolfo is a form of Rudolf. The history of Rudolf gives this family its wider story. Rudolf has historical associations with the Habsburg dynasty.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Rodolfo through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 33,856
- 33,773 boys · 83 girls
- Most popular year
- 1981
- 610 babies
- 2025
- 121
- #1,474 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −23%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 121 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,474 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 22.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 610 in 1981. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (42). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 50,870 as a first name in 2020; 283 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Rodolfo’s family of names
In Filipino usage, Rodolfo has a diminutive in RODY. Rodolfo shares a linguistic root with Rudolf. Rodolfo has a related form in Rudolph.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Rodolfo has relatives in 21 languages.
17 related names in 21 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 12
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- RolfSwedish, Danish
- Rudolfcognate · Polish, German
- RodolpheFrench
- RaoulFrench
- Rodolfequivalent
- Ruediequivalent
- РудольфRussian
- RūdolfsLatvian
Show 4 moreShow fewer
People named Rodolfo
- Rudolph ValentinoItalian actor (1895–1926)
- Rodolfo GrazianiItalian general (1882-1955)
- Rudy FernándezSpanish basketball player (born 1985)
- Rodolfo RodríguezUruguayan footballerborn 1956
- Rodolfo OrlandiniArgentine footballer (1905-1990)
- Rodolfo Neri VelaMexican astronautborn 1952
- Rodolfo PizarroMexican association football playerborn 1994
- Rodolfo ArruabarrenaArgentine footballer and managerborn 1975
- Rodolfo CotaMexican association football playerborn 1987
Characters named Rodolfo: Rodolfo Chikilicuatre (fictional character played by David Fernández Ortiz and Yolanda Lareo Carbia).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Rodolfo, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Roderick
Roderick has Germanic roots, with later Scottish and Welsh uses that follow different paths.
>99% boys
Rico
“a powerful ruler”
>99% boys
Rodriguez
“son of Rodrigo”
>99% boys
Reynaldo
“the king's advisor”
>99% boys
Ronaldo
“the king's advisor”
>99% boys
Ronell
“the king's advisor”
>99% boys
Rodrigues
“son of Rodrigo”
>99% boys
Rhoderick
>99% boys