boy's name
Rupert
ROO-pərt
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 14,182
England and Wales
#79
2025 births
Rupert is a boy's name of Germanic origin meaning "bright fame." It is the German form of Robert, from hrod, fame, and beraht, bright, and reached England with Prince Rupert of the Rhine in 1642.
- Rupert is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2022, when 670 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 786 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Rupert over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 217 |
| 2000s | 575 |
| 2010s | 3,549 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,815 |
What Rupert means
Rupert means famous and bright, or shining with renown. It carries exactly the meaning of Robert — the two are the same name in different national forms rather than relatives.
Where Rupert comes from
Rupert is the German Ruprecht, from the Germanic Hrodebert: hrod, fame, and beraht, bright. Saint Rupert of Salzburg, who died around 710, established the name in Bavaria and Austria. It entered English use abruptly with Prince Rupert of the Rhine, nephew of Charles I, who commanded the Royalist cavalry from 1642 and remained a celebrated figure long afterwards — Rupert's Land in Canada is named for him. Rupert Bear, first drawn in 1920 for the Daily Express, gave the name a second and gentler association that is entirely British.
Rupert in use
Our data marks Rupert as reviving, peaking in 2022, now at 79 in England and Wales against 3,828 in the United States — a forty-eight-fold gap, among the widest we hold. The name is close to unused in America, and its associations, from the cavalry commander to the bear, do not travel.
How popular is Rupert?
In 2025, Rupert was given to 670 babies in England and Wales, ranking #79 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Rupert is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Rupert
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Rupert also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Rupert over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Rupert
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Rupert in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Rupert
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Rupert — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Rupert
What does the name Rupert mean?
Rupert means "bright fame," from the Germanic hrod, fame, and beraht, bright.
Are Rupert and Robert the same name?
Yes. Rupert is the German form of the same Germanic name that English renders as Robert.
Is Rupert used in America?
Barely. At 3,828 in the United States against 79 in England and Wales, it is among the most British names we hold.
How popular is the name Rupert?
In 2025, Rupert was given to 670 babies in England and Wales, ranking #79 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Rupert a girl's or a boy's name?
Rupert is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Rupert?
Rupert has 2 syllables.
When was Rupert most popular?
Rupert peaked in 2022, when 670 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Rupert?
Rupert is usually shortened to Rue.
Is Rupert a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Rupert currently ranks #79 in England and Wales. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.