Ronald
- Meaning
- Ruler's counsel
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What does Ronald mean?
Ronald means “Ruler's counsel”.
Ronald is a Scottish form in the name family descended from Old Norse Ragnvaldr. Its components concern counsel and ruling, conventionally rendered as ruler's counselor. That Scandinavian-to-Scottish history is older than its modern associations with President Ronald Reagan, the McDonald's character, or Ronald Weasley in the Harry Potter books.
Ron and Ronnie provide familiar shorter forms, while Ranald and Raghnall show related Scottish forms. Donald rhymes with Ronald but has a different name history. A family may choose the full name to honor an older relative while using Ronnie day to day, keeping both the formal connection and the familiar form.
Nicknames & variations
Explore short forms, spellings, and related names.
Nicknames for Ronald
Short forms for everyday use.
Variations & related forms
Related forms and spellings recorded for this name.
How popular is Ronald?
United States · 2025Explore how often Ronald is used and how its ranking has changed.
- US boys rank
- #638 2025 · #1 is most popular
- Boys named Ronald
- 438 Recorded births in 2025
- Change in births
- 11.9% Fewer than 2024
Ronald over time
United States · Boys
Recorded births
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Yearly data & usage
Rankings are calculated separately for girls and boys. The summary highlights boys, the most common recorded usage in 2025.
| Year | Usage | US rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Boys | #638 | 438 |
| 2024 | Boys | #575 | 497 |
| 2023 | Boys | #613 | 457 |
| 2022 | Boys | #559 | 532 |
| 2021 | Boys | #562 | 505 |
| 2020 | Boys | #559 | 503 |
| 2019 | Boys | #527 | 541 |
| 2018 | Boys | #491 | 588 |
| 2017 | Boys | #462 | 660 |
| 2016 | Boys | #429 | 728 |
| 2015 | Boys | #435 | 704 |
| 2014 | Boys | #394 | 791 |
Years reflect available birth records. Missing records do not mean zero births.
Names like Ronald
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Ronnie
Unisex- Meaning
- Ruler’s counsel through Ronald; other long forms vary
Listed as a related name to Ronald.
Logan
Unisex- Meaning
- Small hollow
Shares an origin with Ronald.
Rowan
Unisex- Meaning
- Rowan tree; little redhead
Shares an origin with Ronald.
Cameron
Unisex- Meaning
- Crooked nose
Shares an origin with Ronald.
Ian
Mostly boys- Meaning
- God is gracious
Shares an origin with Ronald.
Callum
Mostly boys- Meaning
- Dove
Shares an origin with Ronald.
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