Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse Rögnvaldr, or possibly from Old English Regenweald. In some cases Ronald is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic Raghnall, a name likewise derived from Rögnvaldr. The latter name is composed of the Old Norse elements regin ("advice", "decision") and valdr ("ruler"). Ronald was originally used in England and Scotland, where Scandinavian influences were once substantial, although now the name is common throughout the English-speaking world. A short form of Ronald is Ron. Pet forms of Ronald include Roni and Ronnie. Ronalda and Rhonda are feminine forms of Ronald. Rhona, a modern name apparently only dating back to the late nineteenth century, may have originated as a feminine form of Ronald. The names Renaud/Renault and Reynold/Reinhold are cognates from French and German respectively. The name Ronaldo is a cognate from Spanish and Portuguese.

People with the name

Fictional people with the name

  • Ronald Miller, a character in the American teen romantic comedy 1987 film Can't Buy Me Love
  • Ronald McCrea, nicknamed "Ronnie", a character from Need for Speed: Most Wanted
  • Ronald McDonald, mascot of McDonald's
  • Ronald the Cat, Nature Cat's next-door neighbor and arch-enemy
  • Ron Stoppable, Kim Possible's sidekick from the Disney animated series Kim Possible
  • Ron Swanson, the mustachioed libertarian director of the eponymous department in the sitcom Parks and Recreation
  • Ron Weasley, a main character in Harry Potter, best friend of the title character
  • Ronnie Raymond, DC Comics character
  • Ronald "Red" Daniels, main protagonist of Call of Duty: WWII.
  • Ronald Knox, a character in Black Butler

People with the surname

See also

Citations