Ronald
Ronald was the 638th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 438 babies. Its best year was 1941, when it ranked 9th; the most babies were born in 1947 (34,899). Over the last ten years it has moved down 203 places. More babies were named Ronald in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning ruler with counsel (Norse, via Scottish Gaelic) · Old Norse, Scottish Gaelic
Say it RAH-nuld /ˈrɑnəld/
- Rank in 2025
- #638 boys, down 79 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 438boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194734,899 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,086,091babies recorded
What does the name Ronald mean?
Ronald comes to English through Scotland. Wiktionary traces it to Old Norse Rǫgnvaldr, borrowed into Scottish Gaelic as Raghnall, from rǫgn, counsel or advice, and valdr, ruler or power. DMNES gives the same elements for the related name Reynold, which came to England through the Normans, and lists Norse lords and kings of the Scottish isles and the Isle of Man among early bearers. US records show Ronald at its most common in the 1940s.
Rǫgnvaldr (Old Norse, “Ronald”)*ragin (Proto-Germanic, “counsel, might”)*wald (Proto-Germanic, “power, rule”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Ron, Ronnie, Reynold, Reginald, Ragnvald.
See also: Scandinavian names, names that mean wisdom, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ronald' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Raghnall' (Scottish Gaelic section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Reynold', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Ronald
The usual nicknames for Ronald are Ron, Ronnie and Ronny. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Ronald in the last five years, 44 were named Ronnie, against 29 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ron | Traditional | #4,361 | 160 |
| Ronnie · also for Veronica, Ron | Traditional | #1,067 | 1,057 |
| Ronny | Traditional | #3,434 | 230 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Ronalds go by each one.
Ronald popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 3,844 since 1919.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #638 | 438 |
| 2020 | #559 | 503 |
| 2010 | #343 | 913 |
| 2000 | #203 | 1,750 |
| 1990 | #97 | 3,899 |
| 1980 | #58 | 5,757 |
| 1970 | #29 | 13,618 |
| 1960 | #21 | 21,714 |
| 1950 | #12 | 29,908 |
| 1940 | #10 | 20,741 |
| 1930 | #37 | 5,635 |
| 1920 | #168 | 832 |
| 1910 | #215 | 118 |
| 1900 | #348 | 40 |
| 1890 | #411 | 20 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ronald, counting every spelling?
Ronald has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #627 for boys in 2025, against #638 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Ronald?
438 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ronald (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ronald 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 19 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ronald.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ronald?
About 634,300 people born in the US named Ronald are alive today, with a median age of 67; half are between 56 and 76. That makes Ronald 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.
Ronald by state
How common Ronald was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (2.1×), Louisiana (1.8×), Pennsylvania (1.7×), Missouri (1.7×), Michigan (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Utah, Iowa, West Virginia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ronald: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ronald, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ronald · Sibling names for Ronald
Questions about the name Ronald
What does Ronald mean?
Ronald means “ruler with counsel (Norse, via Scottish Gaelic)” (Old Norse, Scottish Gaelic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Ronald?
Ronald was the 638th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 438 babies. Its best year was 1941, when it ranked 9th; the most babies were born in 1947 (34,899). Over the last ten years it has moved down 203 places. More babies were named Ronald in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Ronald a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ronald in the US.
Where is Ronald most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ronald was most common in Alaska (0.92 per 1,000 boys), followed by Montana and Maryland.