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Rolf as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Rolf

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The baby name Rolf is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /roʊlf/ (ROHLF); Scandinavian: /rɔlf/.

Rolf is Germanic, Norse in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Germanic, Norse
Pronunciation: /roʊlf/ (ROHLF); Scandinavian: /rɔlf/

What is the meaning of the name Rolf ?

The baby name Rolf is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /roʊlf/ (ROHLF); Scandinavian: /rɔlf/.

Rolf is Germanic, Norse in Origin.

Rolf is a Scandinavian and German masculine name from Old Norse Hrólfr and Old High German Hrodulf, built from the Germanic elements hroð “fame, renown” and ulfr/wulf “wolf,” yielding the meaning “renowned wolf.” Through phonetic shortening, Hrodulf developed on two tracks: the Nordic Hrólfr > Rolf and the continental Rudolf/Rudolph; in modern German use, Rolf also serves as a short form of Rudolf.

The name rose in the Viking and Norman eras; its most famous bearer is Rollo (a Latinized form of Hrólfr), the 10th‑century leader who founded Normandy. Rolf has remained familiar in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany, with 20th‑century peaks, and appears in English-speaking countries mainly via Scandinavian immigration. Variants and cognates include Hrólfr (Old Norse), Hrólfur (Icelandic), Rolv (Norwegian), Rollo (medieval), Rudolf/Rudolph (cognate), and the English spelling Rolph; Swedish nicknames include Roffe and Rolle.

Rolf has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Rolf

Rolf Harris Actor · Born 1930 · United Kingdom Rolf Harris was an Australian entertainer who gained fame in the United Kingdom as a television personality, musician, and artist. He is best known for his novelty songs like 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport' and 'Jake the Peg'. Rolf Hoppe Actor · Born 1930 · Germany Rolf Hoppe was a German actor best known for his role as the villainous General in the film 'Mephisto'. He also appeared in 'Sonnenallee' and 'Jacob the Liar'. Hoppe's performances were marked by his versatility and depth, making him a memorable figure in German cinema. Rolf Lassgård Actor · Born 1955 · Sweden Rolf Lassgård is a Swedish actor best known for his role as the detective Kurt Wallander in the film adaptations of Henning Mankell's novels. He also starred in the film 'A Man Called Ove', which received international acclaim. Born in 1955, Lassgård has had a significant impact on Swedish cinema and television.
Rolf Zacher Actor|musician · Born 1941 · Germany Rolf Zacher was a German actor and musician best known for his role in the film 'Endstation Freiheit'. He also appeared in 'Berlin Alexanderplatz' and lent his voice to the German version of 'The Lion King'.

Celebrity babies named Rolf

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Rolf Salomon Bausch Pina Bausch film director ★★★★★

Rolf – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 1970 #1 — 307
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
BG 0 #81 2 1,799
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
Germany Boys 0 #100 6,185 5,697
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
PH 0 #110 1 5,607
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
OM 0 #119 3 6,215
Norway Boys 2025 #129 6 444
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
HU Boys 0 #172 3 3,954
DK Boys 0 #176 166 7,401
DK 0 #176 28 5,198
Sweden Boys 2022 #178 5 1,509
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
UY 0 #181 2 2,477
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
Germany 0 #203 298 2,542
LU Boys 0 #206 13 4,970
NA Boys 0 #225 11 6,830
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
MO Boys 0 #232 3 5,842
Finland Boys 2026 #243 1,299 3,552
AO Boys 0 #247 3 5,568
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
GR Boys 0 #270 4 6,912
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
NL Boys 0 #273 1,368 5,873
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
Finland Boys 0 #290 144 2,041
Finland 0 #295 13 830
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
CZ Boys 0 #300 6 6,530
JP Boys 0 #302 2 7,909
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
NL 0 #305 87 2,481
SA 0 #310 3 10,560
France Boys 1979 #324 3 1,468
CN Boys 0 #327 5 9,639
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
PL Boys 0 #337 4 6,459
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
HK 0 #356 2 8,483
PT Boys 0 #357 11 7,951
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
MU Boys 0 #365 5 8,477
PH Boys 0 #370 14 11,440
Austria Boys 0 #375 68 2,180
PH Girls 0 #379 12 13,098
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
CL 0 #399 13 6,867
UY Boys 0 #409 5 5,922
OM Girls 0 #420 5 15,987
ZA 0 #438 10 14,421
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
AR Boys 0 #479 5 7,628
GT Boys 0 #498 2 7,625
CR Boys 0 #504 7 10,188
CO 0 #509 2 7,768
HK Boys 0 #516 12 12,905
RU Boys 0 #521 6 12,621
RU Girls 0 #522 2 11,913
IR Boys 0 #543 10 10,162
KW Girls 0 #556 6 19,177
PS Boys 0 #560 2 10,655
CM Boys 0 #572 4 12,054
BH 0 #586 2 17,937
AE Girls 0 #594 4 20,968
CL Boys 0 #604 62 13,390
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
BO Boys 0 #617 6 9,244
IL Boys 0 #622 4 10,983
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
HK Girls 0 #646 5 16,104
BO Girls 0 #648 4 9,488
BR Boys 0 #650 102 12,213
SG Boys 0 #687 11 17,960
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
QA Boys 0 #698 10 18,093
KW Boys 0 #804 3 18,755
Germany Girls 0 #821 18 4,949
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
PE Boys 0 #851 28 14,506
Spain Boys 0 #859 72 5,610
TN 0 #861 5 13,765
United States Boys 2024 #887 6 7,044
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
EG Boys 0 #923 3 15,035
MX Boys 0 #972 11 16,355
CO Boys 0 #974 8 15,656
BR Girls 0 #991 2 12,708
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
PE Girls 0 #1,008 3 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,008 7 25,931
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
ZA Boys 0 #1,049 130 25,619
MY Girls 0 #1,072 1 24,821
AE Boys 0 #1,081 12 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,152 1 16,140
MX Girls 0 #1,171 13 17,781
MY Boys 0 #1,176 7 25,439
MA 0 #1,195 5 20,986
DZ 0 #1,232 3 20,130
TR 0 #1,250 5 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,417 55 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,603 12 28,008

Rolf is popular in 69 countries — most recent births per country:

Norway
France
Sweden
United States
Ireland

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People also ask about Rolf

Rolf is predominantly a boy's name.
Rolf is a one syllable name, pronounced /roʊlf/ (ROHLF); Scandinavian: /rɔlf/.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Hrólfr (Old Norse), Rolfur (Icelandic), Rolv (Norwegian), Rollo (medieval/Norman), Rolfe (English) and Rolph.
Across languages, Rolf has these equivalents: Rudolf/Rudolph (same elements: fame + wolf), Ulf/Ulfur (Scandinavian: 'wolf'), Wolfgang (German: contains 'wolf'), Adolf/Adolph (Germanic: noble + wolf).
Yes, very popular — Rolf ranked #1 in Ireland in 1970, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Rolf ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 1970).
Rolf's popularity is rising. It moved from #133 in 2015 to #129 in 2025 in Norway.
Yes — 4 notable people named Rolf are in our database, including Rolf Harris (Actor), Rolf Hoppe (Actor), Rolf Lassgård (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Rolf for their child, including Pina Bausch.