The first name Ronald
A boy’s name from Scottish Gaelic meaning “advice”, “power”.
Pronounced /ˈɹɑ.nəld/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Scottish Gaelic origin
Ronald means “advice”, “power” in Scottish Gaelic.
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.
More names that mean strong.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 59 boys were named Ronald, making it the 627th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 67 births (#569).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ronald with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ronald at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 438 boys born in the United States were named Ronald, the 638th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 34,899 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.
Ronald in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Ronald in Danish, French, German, Norwegian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Ronald
241 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ronald Reagan40th President of the United States (1981–1989)
- Ronald RossBritish doctor, Nobel laureate, writer, and artist (1857–1932)
- Ronald KoemanDutch football coach and former football player (born 1963)
- Ronald CoaseBritish economist and Nobel laureate (1910–2013)
- Ronald FisherBritish statistician, evolutionary biologist and geneticist (1890–1962)
- Ronald GoliasBrazilian actor and comedian (1929–2005)
- Ronald George Wreyford NorrishBritish chemist, 1897–1978
- Ronald ColmanBritish actor (1891–1958)
- Ronald de BoerDutch association football player (born 1970)
- Ronald DworkinAmerican legal philosopher (1931-2013)
- Ronald McNairAmerican physicist, astronaut (1950-1986)
- Ronald LauderAmerican businessman, art collector, philanthropist, political activist, born 1944
More Scottish Gaelic boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Ronald mean?
- Ronald means “advice”, “power” in Scottish Gaelic.
- What is the origin of the name Ronald?
- 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.
- How popular is the name Ronald?
- In 2025, 59 boys born in England and Wales were named Ronald, ranking 627th. Its peak was 2021, with 67 births.
- What are nicknames for Ronald?
- Common nicknames for Ronald include Ron, Ronnie, Ronny.
- Is Ronald a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 1,086,091 US babies named Ronald since 1880 were boys.
- When was Ronald most popular?
- 1947 in the United States, when 34,899 babies were named Ronald, its highest rank at 11th.
- How do you pronounce Ronald?
- Ronald is /ˈɹɑ.nəld/, 2 syllables.
- Is Ronald also a surname?
- Yes. Ronald is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.