Onald
Masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from an Irish or Anglo-Norman source.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Onald. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Onald today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Onald births was 1969 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Onald. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Onald. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1969
5 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
1969 SSA rank
#4,840
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Onald: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Onald by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Onald during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Onald
The name Onald is an obscure and uncommon given name with uncertain origins. While its etymology remains a mystery, there are a few intriguing theories about its roots and history.
One possible source of the name Onald is an Old English or Anglo-Saxon word, which may have been a variation of the more common name Donald or Ronald. In this case, Onald could have been a derivative or diminutive form of these names, perhaps used as a nickname or informal variant.
Another theory suggests that Onald may have its origins in ancient Germanic or Norse languages, where it could have been related to words or names associated with strength, bravery, or nobility. However, there is limited evidence to support this claim definitively.
In terms of historical references, the name Onald is scarce in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records. It is possible that it was used infrequently in certain regions or communities, but it does not appear to have had widespread recognition or significance.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Onald are relatively modern, with a few scattered instances appearing in various parts of the world, particularly in Western countries, from the late 19th century onwards. However, these instances are rare and often isolated cases.
Despite its obscurity, there are a handful of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Onald. One such person was Onald Macquarie (1815-1890), a Scottish-born businessman and entrepreneur who settled in Australia and played a role in the early development of the wool industry there.
Another individual with the name Onald was Onald Sutherland (1867-1944), a British-born architect who designed several notable buildings in Canada, including the Château Laurier hotel in Ottawa.
In the United States, Onald Becker (1899-1968) was a politician from New York who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1940s and 1950s.
Onald Fitzpatrick (1912-1995) was an Irish-born actor and theater director who had a successful career on the stage and in television, particularly in the UK.
Finally, Onald Macdonald (1928-2003) was a Canadian author and academic who wrote extensively on topics related to Canadian history and culture.
While these examples demonstrate the occasional use of the name Onald throughout history, it remains a relatively uncommon and obscure given name, with its origins and etymology still shrouded in mystery.
People
Onald + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Onald as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Onald: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Onald?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Onald going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Onald a common name?
We classify Onald as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Onald most popular?
The single biggest year for Onald was 1969, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Onald is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Onald in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Onald a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Onald in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Onald still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Onald in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Onald can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Onald?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.