Ranold
Of Old Norse origin, signifying "counsel ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Ranold. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ranold today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ranold births was 1928 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ranold. 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 Ranold. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1928
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1928 SSA rank
#4,610
Tracked since 1928
Popularity
Ranold: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ranold 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 Ranold during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ranold
The name Ranold is a relatively obscure given name of uncertain origin. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, possibly derived from a Germanic or Scandinavian root word. Some linguists suggest it may be a variant spelling of the Old Norse name Rǫgnvaldr, which means "ruler of counsel" or "wise ruler."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ranold can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholdings compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry lists a person named Ranold as a landholder in the county of Yorkshire, England. This suggests the name may have been in use among the Anglo-Saxon population before the Norman conquest.
In the 12th century, a Ranold of Chester is mentioned in the chronicles of the Benedictine abbey of St. Werburgh in Chester, England. He is recorded as a wealthy benefactor who donated land and resources to the monastery around the year 1150.
During the late medieval period, a notable figure named Ranold de Bury appears in historical records. He was a prominent English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Chichester from 1244 to 1259. De Bury was involved in various political and ecclesiastical affairs of his time and is known for his contributions to the development of the cathedral at Chichester.
In the 16th century, a Scottish nobleman named Ranold Macdonald, 6th of Sleat, played a significant role in the clan conflicts and power struggles that characterized the Highlands during that era. He lived from around 1540 to 1595 and was a chief of the Clan Macdonald of Sleat.
Another historical figure bearing the name Ranold was Ranold MacDonald, a Scottish Catholic priest who lived from 1662 to 1725. He was a prominent member of the Gaelic literary tradition and is known for his poetry and religious writings in the Scottish Gaelic language.
While the name Ranold has largely fallen out of common usage, it remains a part of the historical record, particularly in the context of medieval England and Scotland. Its origins and meanings may be obscure, but it serves as a reminder of the rich tapestry of names that have existed throughout human history.
People
Ranold + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ranold 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
Ranold: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ranold?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ranold 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 - US residents.
Is Ranold a common name?
We classify Ranold as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% 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 Ranold most popular?
The single biggest year for Ranold was 1928, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ranold is about 0 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 Ranold in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ranold a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ranold 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 Ranold still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ranold 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 Ranold 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 share the name Ranold?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.