Rufus is a name of Latin origin, derived from the word "rufous," which means red-haired or reddish-colored. It is also associated with the ancient Roman family name Rufus, which was used to denote someone with red hair.
The name Rufus has been in use for centuries and has appeared in various forms throughout history. One notable figure named Rufus was Saint Rufus, who was a companion of Saint Paul and is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible. He is considered a martyr by the Catholic Church and his feast day is celebrated on August 30th.
In more recent times, the name Rufus has been used as a given name for boys. It is often associated with the character of Rufus Scrimgeour from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, who was the Minister of Magic during the events of the sixth book and film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
Overall, Rufus is a distinctive and unique name that has a rich history and an interesting origin story. Despite its association with red hair in some cases, it can be used for boys regardless of their hair color or appearance.
The statistics provided show the number of births with the name Rufus in the United States from 1913 to 1965. During this period, there was a total of 151 babies named Rufus.
The year with the highest number of Rufus births was 1926, with 10 babies given this name. The years following this peak had fewer Rufus births, with the next highest being 8 births in 1940 and 7 births in 1925.
After the initial peak in 1926, the popularity of the name Rufus steadily decreased over time. Between 1951 and 1965, there were only five years with more than five Rufus births each year, indicating that this name was not as commonly chosen during these decades compared to earlier periods.
Overall, while the name Rufus had some popularity in the early to mid-20th century in the United States, it seems to have fallen out of favor by the 1960s based on the provided statistics.