Ronald is a distinctive choice, ranked #796 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Ronald in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#796
US Rank #575
About the Name Ronald
Ronald has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 128 places in five years. It was most popular in 2018 at #564 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Ronald is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #575, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Ronald
Unlikely. With around 42 UK babies named Ronald per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Ronald in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Ronald has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 128 places in the last five years. Its peak was #564 in 2018. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Ronald is more popular in the US (#575) than in the UK (#796). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Ronald include: Ronald Araújo — Ronald Federico Araújo da Silva is an Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Barcelona, whom he captains, and the...; Ronald Koeman — Ronald Koeman is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Netherlands national team.; Ronald Steel — Ronald Lewis Steel was an American writer, historian, and professor..
Ronald ranks #575 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
42
UK babies named Ronald (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 128 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Ronald
Likely around 1 other Ronald in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Ronald
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Ronald Federico Araújo da Silva is an Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Barcelona, whom he captains, and the Uruguay national team.
Ronald Koeman is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Netherlands national team. Koeman scored over 250 goals whilst playing in defence for the majority of his career.
Ronald Erwin McNair was an American NASA astronaut and physicist. He died at the age of 35 during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, in which he was serving as one of three mission specialists in a crew of seven.
Ronald John Allen was an English actor. He is best known for playing David Hunter in the long-running ITV soap opera Crossroads, a role he played from 1969 to 1985.
Ronald Aldon Hicks is an American Catholic prelate who has served as the Archbishop of New York since 2026. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois from 2018 to 2020 and as Bishop of Joliet from 2020 to 2026.