Ronald
Old Norse Rögnvaldr, “ruler’s advisor,” which entered Scotland through Norse settlement.
Popularity, 1880–2025
A Scottish form of Reginald that peaked in the 1930s and 40s, the very cohort that produced Ronald Reagan's fame.
Ronald first shows up in the national records in 1883. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1926 to 1990. It spent 10 years inside the top 10. Its biggest year was 1947, when 34,899 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 11 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1941, at No. 9. In 2025 it ranked No. 637 for boys. All told, 1,086,091 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Ronold (865), Ronnald (723) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Ronnie
Explore Ronald interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 63 | No. 505 |
| 1890s | 209 | No. 316 |
| 1900s | 616 | No. 215 |
| 1910s | 5,301 | No. 155 |
| 1920s | 20,894 | No. 45 |
| 1930s | 140,332 | No. 10 |
| 1940s | 282,489 | No. 9 |
| 1950s | 271,139 | No. 12 |
| 1960s | 182,190 | No. 21 |
| 1970s | 81,730 | No. 29 |
| 1980s | 46,670 | No. 58 |
| 1990s | 26,681 | No. 97 |
| 2000s | 13,645 | No. 203 |
| 2010s | 7,356 | No. 342 |
| 2020s | 2,932 | No. 558 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.