The first name Randolph
A boy’s name meaning “shield”, “wolf”.
Pronounced /ˈɹændɒlf/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Randolph means “shield”, “wolf”.
From Old Norse rǫnd (“shield”) + úlfr (“wolf”).
More names that mean wolf.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Randolph last appeared in the official list in 2008, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 2002, with 3 births (#3,225).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Randolph with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Randolph at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 20 boys born in the United States were named Randolph, the 5,003rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1952, when 1,817 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Randolph in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Randolph in French too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Randolph
Famous people named Randolph
42 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- William Randolph HearstAmerican newspaper publisher (1863–1951)
- Randolph ScottAmerican actor (1898–1987)
- Lord Randolph ChurchillBritish politician, father of Winston Churchill (1849-1895)
- Randolph BresnikAstronaut, Fighter pilot, born 1967
- Randolph ChurchillBritish politician, son of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1911-1968)
- Randolph CaldecottBritish artist and illustrator (1846-1886)
- Randolph LycettEnglish tennis player (1886-1935)
- Randolph L. BrahamAmerican historian and political scientist (1922-2018)
- Randolph BourneAmerican writer, 1886–1918
- Randolph MantoothActor from the United States, 1945–2026
- Randolph M. NesseAmerican psychiatrist, born 1948
- Archie Randolph AmmonsAmerican poet (1926–2001)
Questions
- What does the name Randolph mean?
- Randolph means “shield”, “wolf”.
- How popular is the name Randolph?
- In 2008, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Randolph, ranking 4,432nd. Its peak was 2002, with 3 births.
- What are nicknames for Randolph?
- Common nicknames for Randolph include Randy.
- Is Randolph a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 49,536 US babies named Randolph since 1880 were boys.
- When was Randolph most popular?
- 1952 in the United States, when 1,817 babies were named Randolph, its highest rank at 154th.
- How do you pronounce Randolph?
- Randolph is /ˈɹændɒlf/, 2 syllables.
- Is Randolph also a surname?
- Yes. Randolph is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.