Randal
Randal was the 5345th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 18 babies. Its best year was 1958, when it ranked 190th with 1,477 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,442 places. More babies were named Randal in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Randall) from Randolph: shield wolf · English, Germanic
- Rank in 2025
- #5,345 boys, down 1,632 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 18boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19581,477 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,324babies recorded
What does the name Randal mean?
Randal is a spelling of Randall, pronounced the same way, so it shares Randall's meaning and origin.
Randall is a Middle English variant of Randolph, preserved as a surname and revived as a first name in the 20th century, as Wiktionary notes. Randolph comes from a Germanic name made of rand 'shield rim, shield' and wulf 'wolf'. It was popular in the US in the 1950s and 1960s, often shortened to Randy.
rand (Old High German, “shield rim, shield”)wulf (Old High German, “wolf”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Randolph, Randy, Rand, Randal.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean protector, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Randall', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Randolph', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Randal popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 132 since 1949.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,345 | 18 |
| 2020 | #3,713 | 29 |
| 2010 | #2,776 | 44 |
| 2000 | #1,662 | 70 |
| 1990 | #722 | 199 |
| 1980 | #565 | 233 |
| 1970 | #341 | 559 |
| 1960 | #219 | 1,273 |
| 1950 | #305 | 490 |
| 1940 | #886 | 51 |
| 1930 | #1,252 | 33 |
| 1920 | #1,871 | 19 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Randal, counting every spelling?
Randal is a spelling of Randall, a name family that ranked #1,222 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,345 for Randal on its own. Together these spellings went to 152 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randall | 117 | #1,506 | 692 |
| Randal | 18 | #5,345 | 92 |
| Randell | 12 | #7,097 | 63 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Randal?
18 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Randal (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Randal born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 465 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Randal.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Randal?
About 22,100 people born in the US named Randal are alive today, with a median age of 63; half are between 51 and 69. That makes Randal a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Randal by state
How common Randal was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Randal: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Randal, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Randal
What does Randal mean?
Randal is a spelling of Randall, which means “from Randolph: shield wolf” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Randal?
Randal was the 5345th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 18 babies. Its best year was 1958, when it ranked 190th with 1,477 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,442 places. More babies were named Randal in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Randal a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Randal in the US.
Where is Randal most popular?
In 2021–2025, Randal was most common in Tennessee (0.03 per 1,000 boys).