# Ralph (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/ralph/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 8,153 |
| US rank (2010) | 4,358 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 37,869 people |
| Change since 2000 | +2.1% (7,987 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹælf/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | Rawle |

## Etymology

From Middle English Radulf, from Old English Rǣdwulf (also as Raulf), from Proto-West Germanic *Rādawulf, from Proto-Germanic *Rēdawulfaz. Reinforced by similar forms brought to England, e.g. Old Norse Ráðúlfr, then in the Norman form Old French Radulf, Radulph. For the sense relating to vomiting, see ralph.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Ralph in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 82% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 12% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.6% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 1.6% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Ralph in the United States, Australia, Angola and Austria.

## People named Ralph

- Sheryl Lee Ralph, American actress and singer
- Jessie Ralph, actress (1864-1944)
- Jason Ralph, American actor
- Glencora Ralph, Australian female water polo player
- Anselmo Ralph, Angolan singer
- J. Ralph, American musician
- Louis Ralph, Austrian actor

## Similar surnames

Rolph, Rolfe, Rolf, Roloff, Rohloff.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.