Wolf is of Germanic origin and means "wolf". It was traditionally used as a nickname for someone who was considered to be fierce, cunning, or having a similar characteristic to the wolf. The name Wolf has been used throughout history in various cultures, most notably in Germany and other Germanic countries. In literature, it is famously associated with characters like the brothers Grimm's "The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats". Today, Wolf continues to be a unique and distinct choice for a first name.
Over the course of a century (1912-2023), the name Wolf experienced significant fluctuations in popularity. The early to mid-20th century saw relatively few births with the name, ranging from 5 to 19 births per year until the late 1950s. However, starting in the late 1970s and into the 1980s, there was a noticeable increase, with yearly totals ranging between 8 and 25 births. The name's popularity surged in the 2000s, with yearly counts reaching as high as 83 births by 2018. The most recent years (2019-2023) have seen a slight decline, but still maintain a higher count compared to earlier decades, with totals ranging from 53 to 107 births per year. Overall, there were a total of 1480 births with the name Wolf during this period.