Ronald

Meaning: Counsel and rule
Origin: Old Norse — Scottish form of Rognvaldr

Nicknames: Ron, Ronnie, Ronny

Boy's name · #638 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Popularity over time

Ronald is an heirloom: its strongest era came around 1941, when it ranked #9. It has thinned since but never left the records — about 1.1 million boys since 1883, ranked #638 today.

Across the states

See where Ronald is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 35 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Ronald ranks in other countries and regions.

#205 in Ecuador (2025) · #627 in England & Wales (2025) · #910 in Poland (2025) · #1,443 in Canada (2025) · #1,728 in Austria (2025) · #619 in Scotland (2024) · #2,159 in Sweden (2024) · #6,109 in France (2024) · #21,707 in Italy (2023) · #209 in Slovakia (2013) · #718 in Ireland (2012) · #1,238 in Belgium (2011) and 5 more.

Famous Ronalds

Ronald Reagan — President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 (1911–2004)
Ronald Ross — British Indian medical doctor and Nobel laureate (1857–1932)
Ronald Koeman — Dutch football manager (born 1963)
Ronald Coase — British economist and Nobel laureate (1910–2013)
Ronald Fisher — British statistician, evolutionary biologist and geneticist (1890–1962)
Ronald Araújo — Uruguayan footballer (born 1999)
Ronald Lauder — American businessman (born 1944)
Ronald Wayne — American businessperson and co-founder of Apple (born 1934)
Ronald McNair — American astronaut and physicist (1950–1986)
Ronald Colman — British actor (1891–1958)

In stories & tradition

Ronald (Ron Weasley) — Fictional character of Harry Potter series
Ronald McDonald — Clown mascot of McDonald's
Ronald Opus — Fictional gunshot victim used to illustrate law of death inquiry

What Ronalds become

Among 3,331 notable people named Ronald:

Scientists & scholars appear 1.65× more often than among typical names — e.g. Ronald Coase, British economist and Nobel laureate (1910–2013).

Spellings & nicknames

About 210 boys a year are given Ronnie as their full name.

Similar names: Ronaldo · Donald · Roger · Douglas · Gerald · Randy

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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