Find out how popular the last name Ronald is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ronald.

Ronald, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ronald surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ronald in America

Ronald is the 25356th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ronald surname appeared 976 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ronald.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ronald to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ronald

The surname Ronald originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse name Rögnvaldr, which means "ruler's counsellor" or "powerful ruler." The name was brought to Scotland by Norse settlers and eventually evolved into the modern spelling of Ronald.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ronald appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls recording those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England following his conquest of parts of Scotland. The name is also found in various Scottish parish records and charters from the 13th and 14th centuries.

The Ronald surname is closely linked to the Scottish Highlands and was particularly prevalent in the regions of Argyll, Ross-shire, and Inverness-shire. It was also associated with the Clan Donald, one of the largest and most powerful Scottish clans during the Middle Ages.

One notable historical figure with the surname Ronald was Sir John Ronald of Bennane, who lived in the 15th century and served as a courtier to King James III of Scotland. Another prominent individual was Sir Robert Ronald of Leys, a 16th-century Scottish landowner and politician who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Scotland.

During the 17th century, the surname Ronald began to spread beyond Scotland as some bearers of the name migrated to other parts of the British Isles and, later, to North America and other regions of the world. One example is Robert Ronald, a Scottish-born American merchant who lived from 1668 to 1736 and was a prominent figure in colonial Philadelphia.

Other notable individuals with the surname Ronald include Sir Francis Ronald, a 19th-century British diplomat and writer (1788-1873), and Sir Landon Ronald, a renowned English conductor and composer (1873-1938).

Throughout its history, the surname Ronald has maintained its strong Scottish roots and associations with the Highlands and Clan Donald. It has also become more widely dispersed due to migration patterns, but its origins can be traced back to the Old Norse settlers who brought the name to Scotland centuries ago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ronald

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ronald.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ronald was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ronald has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ronald was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ronald, please contact us.

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