2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ronalds
An anglicized Scottish surname derived from the personal name Ronald, meaning "ruler's counsel".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Ronalds. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ronalds surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ronalds with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Ronalds in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ronalds, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.0%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ronalds
The surname Ronalds is believed to have originated in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Celtic name Ronald, which means "ruler's counsellor" or "powerful ruler." The name is thought to have evolved from the Old Norse name Rögnvaldr, which was brought to Scotland by Viking settlers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ronalds can be found in the Scottish Parish Records from the late 16th century. These records document the births, marriages, and deaths of individuals with the surname Ronalds in various parishes throughout Scotland.
In the 17th century, the name Ronalds appeared in the Scottish Hearth Tax Rolls, which were records of households and their tax obligations. This suggests that the Ronalds family had established themselves as landowners or householders during this period.
One notable figure with the surname Ronalds was Sir Francis Ronalds (1788-1873), an English scientist and inventor who is credited with developing the first successful electric telegraph system in 1816. His work laid the foundation for modern telecommunications.
Another prominent individual with the Ronalds surname was Edmund Ronalds (1819-1889), a British botanist and horticulturist. He is known for his contributions to the study of plant physiology and his work on the cultivation of orchids.
In the late 19th century, a branch of the Ronalds family migrated from Scotland to Australia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Australia is William Ronalds (1850-1920), who was a successful businessman and philanthropist in Melbourne.
The Ronalds surname can also be traced back to Ireland, where it is believed to be a variant of the Irish surname Reynolds. One notable figure with this variation of the name was Sir Joshua Reynold Ronalds (1775-1861), an Irish-born British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the British Virgin Islands.
Another individual of note with the Ronalds surname was Hugh Ronalds (1919-1998), a Scottish actor and director. He had a successful career in theatre and television, appearing in numerous productions throughout the United Kingdom.
While the surname Ronalds is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history and has been borne by several notable individuals across various fields, including science, horticulture, business, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ronalds
Among Census respondents with the surname Ronalds, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.0%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ronalds bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ronalds surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.9% · 70
- Hispanic or Latino23.0% · 26
- Two or more races7.1% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 5
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ronalds
Ronalds appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-12 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,509 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 12,509 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ronalds surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #134,712 | #147,221 | -9.3% |
| Count | 125 | 113 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ronalds bearers went from 125 to 113 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 12,509 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #147,221.
FAQ
Ronalds surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ronalds?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Ronalds. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Ronalds?
Ronalds ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Ronalds. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ronalds.
Has Ronalds become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ronalds went from 125 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Ronalds?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ronalds, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.0%) and Two or More Races (7.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ronalds in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.9% (70 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ronalds appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.9%), Hispanic (23.0%), Two or More Races (7.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ronalds (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ronalds mean?
An anglicized Scottish surname derived from the personal name Ronald, meaning "ruler's counsel". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ronalds (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Ronalds?
Find out how many people have the surname Ronalds on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.