Ronaldo
Prominent spanish name derived from the ancient germanic word "Ragin" meaning "counselor".
Name Census estimates that about 5,688 living Americans carry the first name Ronaldo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ronaldo today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ronaldo births was 1998 (359 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ronaldo. 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.
People living today
5.7K
~ 1 in 60,259 Americans
Peak year
1998
359 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,946
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Ronaldo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ronaldo from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 2,096 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ronaldo 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 Ronaldo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ronaldos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Ronaldo, while South Carolina, Maryland, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 177 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ronaldo
The name Ronaldo finds its roots in the Germanic languages, derived from the elements "raun" meaning "advice" and "wald" meaning "ruler." It emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 8th to 10th centuries AD, as a personal name used across various regions of Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Frankish annals, a historical chronicle from the 9th century, where it is mentioned as Rounald. This spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time and across different cultural contexts.
Ronaldo gained particular prominence in the Christian tradition, with several notable figures bearing this name. One such figure was Saint Ronaldo, a 12th-century Benedictine monk and scholar from Italy, who was renowned for his contributions to religious studies and devotional literature.
The name also found its way into literary works, such as the epic poem "The Song of Roland," which dates back to the 11th century. In this French literary masterpiece, the character Roland, a valiant knight in the service of Charlemagne, embodied qualities of bravery and heroism associated with the name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Ronaldo. One of the earliest was Ronaldo of Cremona (c. 1150-1215), an Italian mathematician and physician who made significant contributions to the field of algebra and the study of optics.
Another prominent figure was Ronaldo Saporiti (1470-1539), an Italian Renaissance architect and sculptor who designed several churches and palaces in Rome and other Italian cities.
In the 16th century, Ronaldo Bandini (1550-1629), an Italian scholar and diplomat, gained recognition for his work in promoting cultural exchange between Italy and other European nations.
Fast forward to the 19th century, Ronaldo Cavillucci (1823-1903), an Italian painter and sculptor, left a lasting impact on the art world with his distinctive neoclassical style and monumental works.
Lastly, Ronaldo Giusti (1936-1998), an Italian film director and screenwriter, made significant contributions to the world of cinema, known for his thought-provoking and socially conscious films.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Ronaldo throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and disciplines.
People
Ronaldo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ronaldo 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
Ronaldo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ronaldo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5,688 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ronaldo 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 60,259 US residents.
Is Ronaldo a common name?
We classify Ronaldo as "Rare". It ranks above 96.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5,966 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ronaldo most popular?
The single biggest year for Ronaldo was 1998, when 359 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ronaldo is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ronaldo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ronaldo 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.