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Rufus

Boy name · 58 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Rufus: 58 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 8 births in 2016.

The boy’s name Rufus means ‘red-haired’ in Latin, originally used as a nickname or Roman cognomen for someone with ruddy hair. Its most famous bearer is the 1st-century Roman governor Rufus of Judea, mentioned in historical sources, though it also appears in the New Testament. Another notable figure is the 12th-century theologian Archbishop Rufus of Naples. The name shares its root with the Italian island of Ross, both deriving from the Latin *russus* for ‘red’. A charming variant is the Gaelic Ruadh, which also means ‘red’. In Scotland, Rufus has consistently been a rare but steady choice for boys since the 1970s, never breaking into the top 100 but maintaining a quiet, dignified presence.