Roanld
A masculine Scandinavian name meaning "ruler's counselor".
Name Census estimates that about 18 living Americans carry the first name Roanld. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Roanld today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Roanld births was 1968 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Roanld. 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 Roanld. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
18
~ 1 in 19,041,908 Americans
Peak year
1968
9 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
1971 SSA rank
#4,807
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Roanld: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Roanld from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 14 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1960s peak, Roanld remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Roanld 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 Roanld during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Roanld
The given name Roanld is an uncommon variant spelling of the more widely known name Ronald. Its origins can be traced back to the Old Norse name Rögnvaldr, which was composed of the elements "rögn" meaning counsel or ruling, and "valdr" meaning ruler or power. This name was particularly prevalent among the Norse and Viking cultures of Scandinavia during the Middle Ages.
In the 12th century, the name Rögnvaldr made its way to Scotland, where it evolved into the Scottish form of Renald or Reynald. Over time, this spelling further transformed into the more modern English version of Ronald, and eventually, the unusual variant Roanld emerged.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Roanld was Roanld of Orkney, a 12th-century Norse earl who ruled over the Orkney Islands off the northern coast of Scotland. He played a significant role in the power struggles between the Norwegian and Scottish kingdoms during that period.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Roanld de Burgh was recorded as a prominent landowner and military commander in Ireland. He was actively involved in the Norman conquest and settlement of Ireland during the reign of King Henry III of England.
During the 16th century, a Scottish nobleman named Roanld Campbell served as a trusted advisor to Mary, Queen of Scots. He was known for his loyalty and diplomatic skills, playing a crucial role in the turbulent political landscape of that era.
In the 17th century, Roanld Macleod was a renowned Scottish poet and scholar who made significant contributions to the preservation of Gaelic literature and culture. His works are still widely studied and celebrated today.
Another notable individual with the name Roanld was Roanld Eriksson, a Swedish explorer and navigator who embarked on several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the late 18th century. His detailed accounts and maps of these uncharted territories greatly advanced the field of Arctic exploration at the time.
While the name Roanld is relatively uncommon in modern times, it holds a rich historical legacy, particularly in the Norse, Scottish, and Irish cultures, where it was once more prevalent. Its unique spelling and roots in ancient languages and cultures make it an intriguing and distinctive name with a fascinating backstory.
People
Roanld + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Roanld 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
Roanld: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Roanld?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 18 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Roanld 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 19,041,908 US residents.
Is Roanld a common name?
We classify Roanld as "Very Rare". It ranks above 38.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Roanld most popular?
The single biggest year for Roanld was 1968, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Roanld is about 57 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 Roanld in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Roanld a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Roanld 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 Roanld still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Roanld 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 Roanld 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 are called Roanld?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.