The baby name Wolf blends a fierce sensibility with a surprisingly wearable, traditional vibe.
Thanks to Taylor for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
LUPUS
Wolf comes directly from the Old English word wulf. In Latin, the animal is lupus.
Wolves have long been feared by villagers and chased off by farmers. They’re the villains of fairy tales and folk stories, from The Three Little Pigs to Peter and the Wolf to The Boy Who Cried … well, you get the idea.
They figure prominently in legend and myth. Romulus and Remus, the future founders of Rome, were raised by a she-wolf. The Norse god Odin kept two as pets, and Loki’s son Fenrir was a monstrous one. In some cultures, they’re destruction on four legs. In others, their fearlessness is admired.
Christianity sometimes equates wolves with the devil, but Saint Francis tamed one in an Italian village.
And then there are the werewolves, a concept dating to the 1400s and continuing right through Twilight and True Blood.
WOLF NAMES
Fierce creatures often influence personal names, because we appreciate their strength and courage.
Just like there are plenty of Leo names inspired by lions, we can find names like Wolfgang, Cynewulf, Ranulf, and Beowulf over the centuries.
Surnames like Lowell and Lovett also refer to the animal, too.
The Hebrew name Ze’ev or Zev is yet another wolf name, and has seen some use in modern Israel.
It appears that Wolf started out as a nickname at least some of the time. This twelfth-century family tree includes men answering to Lupellus – little wolf – and Lupus as well as the surname de Lovel.
MOZART and GOETHE
Wolfgang is probably the most familiar form of the name, thanks to notables like legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and influential writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
The first element refers to the animal; gang means path or way.
Long before Mozart and Goethe lived, Wolfgang of Regensburg was a tenth century saint. He served as a bishop; evangelized the Hungarians; and eventually ended his life as a hermit. His influence spread throughout the region, with many places named in his honor, and the name remaining in use across the generations.
No surprise, then, that Wolfgang is used in small numbers in the US as far back as 1929. Doubtless German immigrants sometimes brought the name with them.
The baby name Wolf, though, was seldom used in the US. It debuts in the popularity data in 1912, with five births. But it’s not seen again until the year 1950, with another five births.
TWENTIETH CENTURY WOLF
What changed during the 1900s?
A few high-profile uses of the name might’ve helped.
First came author Jack London. It was his nickname, but more importantly, in his 1904 novel The Sea-Wolf, it’s the first name of Captain Larsen. (Though Larsen is no hero.)
London also bought land in California’s Sonoma Valley, and spent years building his dream home, Wolf House, only to see it burn to the ground before his family could move in. The ruins are part of Jack London State Historic Park.
CNN journalist Wolf Blitzer was born in Germany to Jewish Holocaust survivors. It’s a family name, shared with his grandfather. He’s been prominent since the 1990s, making the name feel more and more familiar.
The late guitarist Eddie Van Halen and his actress Valerie Bertinelli named their son after Amadeus. Wolfgang played bass for the band his dad co-founded for a dozen years.
The design-savvy Novogratz family of 9 used the name for their eldest and put it squarely on the style map, along with Tallulah, Bellamy, Breaker, Five, Holleder, and Major. Wolfgang Novogratz is now an up-and-coming actor.
Model turned designer and entrepreneur Kimora Lee named her youngest Wolfe in 2015.
LAST NAME FIRST
Wolf – along with variations like Wolfe, Woulfe, and Volk – are common surnames.
In many cases, they’re related to Wolfgang or other Wolf- names.
Sometimes they’re borrowed from the map, possibly from some of the places named in honor of Saint Wolfgang.
In any case, nearly any accessible surname sometimes inspires a given name, doubtless explain some of those babies named Wolf.
BY the NUMBERS
Animal names are having a moment, just like so many other nature names. Leo and Bear, Colt and Wren.
Wolf, too, is increasing in use. As of 2022:
- 97 new boys were named Wolf.
- Another 129 were named Wolfgang.
- The Wolfe spelling was given to 53 boys, an all-time high.
- Wulfric and Beowulf were also in use, with 11 Wulfrics and 7 Beowulfs born in 2022.
WEARABLE WOLF
The baby name Wolf is a study in contrasts.
It’s fierce and aggressive. But famous figures, from the saint to the composer to the writer, all make it feel traditional, serious, intellectual, even.
Combined with our love of nature names and other animal-related choices, the baby name Wolf reads more like an undiscovered gem than a wild whim.
What do you think of the baby name Wolf?
Wolf
classic meets wild
Wolf sounds like a modern word name in the key of River and Bear, but this fierce nature name has traditional German roots.
Popularity
unranked in current US Top 1000
Trend
increasing in use
Origin
Short for traditional German names including the word wolf, referring to the animal
Originally published on November 11, 2010, this post was substantially revised and re-posted on May 11, 2015 and again on January 21, 2024.
A child named Wolf will need a strong personality, because that is a lot of name for a quiet little boy. The Three Wolf Moon meme does add some geek-chic to the name so it could be an ironically, cool middle name
In Germany, the “Wolf-” names are considered a bit grandpa-ish, most men with the names are probably around Wolf Blitzer’s age.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the American journalist Wolf Blitzer – I would think he’s the best known Wolf of our times.
I can see the vampire-werewolf craze leading to the birth of some little Wolfs (Wolves?). Loup (French for Wolf – the p is silent) is occasionally used as a first name, and there is even a Quebec actress with the somewhat corny name of Mariloup Wolfe.
I am now banging my head against the kitchen counter. HOW could I overlook Wolf Blitzer? He takes the name out of the uber-masculine overkill category into the perfectly reasonable.
And Wolfgang Puck. Definitely not the uber-masculine overkill territory either…
I really like Wolf and Wolfgang, the nickname Wolfie is very cute I think. I also think Wolfram is pretty cool which is also German meaning “Wolf raven”. My father’s name happens to be Lowell…Lowell middle name Venice.
I find Wolf somehow more appealing than names like Fox or Bear, perhaps because of the Wolfgang connection. It’s not like there’s a more formal Fox or Bear name (that I can recall off the top of my head).
It probably also helps that my friend’s dad is Wolf (a giant first-gen German who is gentle but big and strong – all Wolf), so the familiarity makes it seem not as, dare I say silly/outlandish, as something like Fox.
Perhaps you forgot about Foxfortimus and Beartholomew
I’ve lived in and near Oklahoma for much of my life. Wolf sounds Native American to me, in a good way. Ditto for Crow, Eagle, Bear, etc.
I had a friend in high school named Wulfrano, we called him Wulf (Wolf). My sister’s dad’s last name is Wolfe and so is hers. So its interesting, but too strong of a first name for me.
Wolf certainly does sound distinctly male / manly. And I do prefer the ‘animal manly’ name, over the more ‘violent’ sounding Cannon and Gunner. At least with Wolf you have a furry animal image.
I immediately think of the Gladiator by that name. I looked it up and I see that both UK and US versions had a “Wolf”. The UK website I found had Wolf described as the “bad guy” but also as the most popular.
It might feel a bit strange to read the traditional fairy tales with “the big bad wolf” to a son named Wolf. Like he might wonder why the wolf is always the bad guy. I guess you could avoid those though.
Wolf is a great, ultra masculine name. I would choose something like Wolf or Fox or Leo if my last name wasn’t a noun also. It would make a great 1 syllable middle name instead of a common “filler” middle name.
Oh! How timely for me that you write of this. I’m pregnant with my second child, and for a boy we are considering Lowell for the MN or perhaps FN. It is a family name on my husband’s side–a great uncle Lowell, his father’s MN is Lowell. How do you feel this name stands today? Does it feel too musty? Our daughter’s name is Ellery, if this gives perspective. Thanks for any thoughts, folks!
FWIW I love those names together!!!! They match perfectly!
My mother is from a German family. She dated a boy named Wolfgang Wolf in high school – Wolfie Wolf is what he went by. I think even without “gang” on the end, it sounds very German to me.