The baby name Rufus blends ancient roots with a homespun sensibility.
Thanks to Marie for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME RUFUS MEAN?
The name first appears in Ancient Rome, where it probably started out as a name for a redhead.
In Latin, rufus referred to the color red, especially red hair. It is ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root reudh, the origin of our words red and ruddy.
Plenty of Rufuses appear in the historical record from 100 BC to 400 AD, including a physician remembered for his writings on anatomy, poets, politicians, military generals and at least nine early saints.
One saintly Rufus is mentioned in the New Testament.
WILLIAM RUFUS
The name fell out of favor by the early Middle Ages.
But wait – what about the eleventh century king?
We often refer to King William II as William Rufus.
It’s not a middle name, though. Instead, Rufus is his nickname. Possibly the medieval king has red hair or maybe it referenced his flushed red face, as legend has it that the king had quite a temper.
The baby name Rufus had some history of use during the Middle Ages, but it seems to have been quite rare.
Following the Protestant Reformation, as parents turned to the Bible rather than saints’ names for their sons, Rufus appears to have increased in use slightly.
THE SURNAME RUFUS
Rufus is also heard as a last name.
It could simply be from the personal name Rufus. Or maybe it means redhead, but filtered through another language or nickname.
English surnames like Ruff and Rough were also given to mean known for shaggy hair.
There are a few other theories, but a great many of them lead back to the color red, just like the given name.
MANY RANDOM RUFUSES
We tend to choose Rufus for offbeat characters with an indie vibe. Here’s a short list:
- Groucho Marx answered to Rufus T. Firefly in 1933’s Duck Soup.
- George Carlin played a time-traveling Rufus in 1989’s Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
- Rufus, the thirteenth apostle, played by Chris Rock in the 1999 movie Dogma.
- In Kill Bill, Vol. 2, Samuel L. Jackson appears as Rufus, the wedding chapel organist.
- Television’s Gossip Girl included not-quite-rock-star dad Rufus Humphrey.
Singer James Taylor welcomed a son named Rufus in 2001.
English actor Rufus Sewell played the bad guy in A Knight’s Tale in 2001. He’s currently starring opposite Keri Russell in Netflix’s The Diplomat. In between, he’s enjoyed a long and varied career.
Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright might not be a household name, but he’s gained a cult following since he launched his career in the 1990s. Even if you’ve never heard of him, you’ve probably heard his music – he’s contributed tracks to movies from Shrek to Brokeback Mountain.
JRR Tolkien gave the name to a minor Hobbit, and there’s a Harry Potter character called Rufus Scrimgeour, too.
Next add in an animated cat in Disney’s The Rescuers, a dog in the Chalet School series of books, and a naked mole rat who took part in Kim Possible’s adventures on the Disney Channel.
Yup, quirky is Rufus’ calling card.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME RUFUS?
1880 marks the very first year for which the US Social Security Administration publishes popularity data.
Back then, the baby name Rufus ranked in the US Top 100.
It has consistently declined since then, leaving the Top 200 in the 1920s, exiting the Top 500 in the 1960s, and departing the Top 1000 rankings entirely after 1988.
As of 2023, just 19 boys were named Rufus. That’s the lowest number – ever, at least since data was first reported.
It’s possible that the baby name Rufus is headed for extinction.
READY FOR REVIVAL
Despite those numbers, there are reasons to think Rufus might be revival-ready.
Parents like ancient names, especially ones ending with S. There’s plenty of appeal to that U sound. So if Atticus and Rhodes and Julian and Jude can trend, somehow Rufus might just fit right in, too.
Plus, the popularity of Rufus reaching an all-time low isn’t really a negative for some parents. If you’re after a first name that your child will never share, but most people will immediately recognize, the baby name Rufus has potential.
Overall, it’s daring and cool, the perfect name for a creative family with an independent streak.
What do you think of the baby name Rufus?
First published on January 11, 2009, this post was revised on July 28, 2014 and February 28, 2025.
Love the nicknames of Rue and Russ. Even Foss! This is a cool boy name.
With all the biblical boy names in the SS top 100, Rufus makes an awesome brother for Ezra, James, or Jude.
And a sibset of Rowan, Rufus, Scarlett, and Poppy? So fantastic. The color connection is off the charts.
This name really shines in a lot of ways!
Amazing name – unusual and a lovely sense of history to it. Adorable for small boy but also quite sexy – upper class, quirky, educated – for an grown man. A fair number of African Americans are named Rufus so no need to worry about a child who may not have red hair… he wouldn’t be the only one. Rufus Sewell is super-sexy, Rufus Wainwright is super-talented. What’s not to love? Will definitely give this name to one of my future sons.
What do you think about Rufus on a child that isn’t a red-head? We’re Black and while I love this name part of me thinks it’d be super weird to name a baby something that means a trait my kid couldn’t really have. I feel similarly weird about names that mean “fair” and “white” even when I like the names.
I think it works just fine. It’s been on my personal shortlist, and there’s zero chance of any kiddo of mine having red hair. The sticking point with Rufus isn’t that people expect him to be red-headed, as much as they expect his parents to be wearing skinny jeans and ironic tee shirts. It’s a cool name, and that might carry a certain amount of pressure in its own way – but this is the age of cool, distinctive names, and being named Rufus is NOTHING compared to being named Legend, Messiah, or Saint!