NameChart

Ronald

Boy name

Ronald has been given to 1,086,091 babies in the U.S. since 1883. It peaked in 1947 and currently ranks #638 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈɹɒ.nəld/

Anglicized from Scottish Gaelic Raghnall, itself derived from Old Norse Rǫgnvaldr, from rǫgn (“advice”) + valdr (“power”), later partly merged with the Continental Germanic equivalent Reynold.

Origin: Germanic languages

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

08.725k17.45k26.174k34.899k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

1,086,091

Peak year

1947 (34,972 babies)

Rank in 2025

#638 for boys

First recorded

1883

10-year trend

▼ -38%

Gender split

0% girls / 100% boys

Famous people named Ronald

Ronald Reagan

President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 and actor (1911–2004)

Ronald Ross

British doctor, Nobel laureate, writer, and artist (1857–1932)

Ron Paul

American politician (born 1935)

Ron Weasley

Fictional character of Harry Potter series

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Ronald.

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