Meaning & Origin
A male given name from Czech or German, equivalent to English Rudolph.
Rudolf is a boy's baby name of Germanic origin, from the Old High German Hrodulf, meaning 'famous wolf' — from hrod (fame, glory) and wulf (wolf) — one of the great Germanic names carried through European history.
Rudolf has been a royal name across Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic — most notably the tragic Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary, whose mysterious death at Mayerling in 1889 shocked the world. Rudolf Nureyev, the extraordinary ballet dancer who defected from the Soviet Union in 1961, gave the name artistic brilliance. With nearly 3,000 recorded U.S. births, it has significant historical presence.