Randall
A masculine name of old German origins meaning "shield bearer" or "wolf shield".
Name Census estimates that about 159,897 living Americans carry the first name Randall. It is a predominantly male name (99.4% of registrations). The average person named Randall today is around 58 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Randall births was 1960 (7,195 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Randall. 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
- • Although Randall is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 1,154 girls registered with the name since 1880.
- • Compared to the 1950s, recent registration numbers for Randall have dropped to less than 5% of what they once were.
People living today
160K
~ 1 in 2,144 Americans
Peak year
1960
7,195 babies that year
Average age
58
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,612
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Randall
Out of the 199,621 babies given the name Randall since 1880, 99.4% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Randall as a male name
- Ranked #1,612 in 2024
- 106 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1960 (7,168 births)
Randall as a female name
- Ranked #18,165 in 2004
- 5 female births in 2004
- Peak: 1986 (93 births)
Popularity
Randall: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Randall from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 62,671 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Randall 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 Randall during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Randalls live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Randall, while Rhode Island, Delaware, Alaska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 3,821 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Randall
The name Randall has its origins in the Old English language and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "rand" meaning "rim" or "border," and "healh" meaning "nook" or "corner." The combination of these two words suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on the outskirts or borders of a settlement.
Randall emerged as a given name in England during the Middle Ages, particularly in the regions of Northumbria and Mercia. It was initially spelled as "Randolf" or "Randulf," with variations such as "Ranulf" and "Randulph" also being used. The name gained popularity among the Anglo-Saxon nobility and was borne by several notable figures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Randall can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical document mentions several individuals with the name, including Randulf de Gernon, a Norman nobleman who held lands in Lincolnshire.
Throughout history, the name Randall has been associated with several notable individuals. For example, Randall de Blundeville (c. 1172-1232) was an English nobleman who served as the Earl of Chester and played a significant role in the Barons' War against King John. Another prominent bearer of the name was Randall Holme (1601-1659), an English writer and genealogist known for his work on heraldry and genealogy.
During the Renaissance period, the name Randall was popular among English writers and poets. One example is Randall Cotgrave (c. 1587-1630), a lexicographer and translator who compiled the influential "A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues" in 1611. Another notable figure was Randall Holinshed (c. 1528-1580), an English chronicler who co-authored the influential "Holinshed's Chronicles," a historical work that served as a source for several of Shakespeare's plays.
In more recent times, the name Randall has continued to be used, although its popularity has waned somewhat. One notable bearer of the name was Randall Jarrell (1914-1965), an American poet, literary critic, and novelist who won the National Book Award for his book of poems "The Woman at the Washington Zoo."
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the name Randall throughout the centuries. The name's enduring presence reflects its rich heritage and strong connections to the medieval English culture and language.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Randall
People
Randall + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Randall as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Randall: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Randall?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 159,897 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Randall 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 2,144 US residents.
Is Randall a common name?
We classify Randall as "Common". It ranks above 99.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 199,621 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Randall most popular?
The single biggest year for Randall was 1960, when 7,195 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Randall is about 58 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Randall a male name?
Yes, 99.4% of people registered as Randall 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.
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.