Ronald

Ronald meaning

Ronald is a Christian boy's name of Old Norse origin (via Scots).

The gods, divine powers + wielder, ruler (Old Norse rögn, valdi)

Also used to mean: ruler's counsel, mighty ruler

Ronald is the Scottish form of the Old Norse name Rögnvaldr, brought to Scotland by Viking settlers. Cleasby and Vigfusson's Icelandic dictionary explains rögn as 'the gods', the same word as regin, which also carried the sense of counsel or decision, and lists Rögnvaldr among the names made from it; the second part, valdi, is 'a wielder, keeper', that is, a ruler. Name lists put it as 'ruler's counsel' or 'mighty ruler'. St Ronald (Rögnvald) of Orkney, a twelfth-century earl who built Kirkwall's cathedral, is the Christian namesake. In India Ronald is used in Christian families, including Catholics on the west coast.

Source: Cleasby and Vigfusson, An Icelandic–English Dictionary (1874), s.v. rögn; s.v. valdi · entry rögn; valdi · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Cleasby-Vigfusson, rögn (oldnorsedictionary.com) · Cleasby-Vigfusson, valdi (oldnorsedictionary.com) · Wikipedia, Ronald

Famous namesakes

• St Rognvald (Ronald) of Orkney, earl and founder of St Magnus Cathedral
• Ronald Reagan, US president

Popularity abroad

• #638 United States, boys 2025 (down 63 from 575 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #627 England and Wales, boys 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Ronald · Ronaldo · Ranald

Related names

Also meaning leader

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