Ronald
Boy name · #638 in 2025 · Rare
Ronald is currently the #638 boy name in the United States — 438 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #434, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,110 boys born in 2025 was named Ronald.
Babies named Ronald per year. Source: SSA.
The 142-year story
Ronald first appears in the Social Security records in 1883, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1947, when 34,899 boys were named Ronald — good for #11 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Ronald against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Ronald in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Ronald is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Ronald will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Ronald is most common
Geography matters for names, and Ronald is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Ronald is most common in LA (0.6 per 1,000), NJ (0.5 per 1,000), MD (0.5 per 1,000), MI (0.5 per 1,000), CO (0.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Ronald is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Ronald
Ronald carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Ronald family went to about 642 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #474, versus #638 for Ronald alone.
Names like Ronald
Statistically, parents drawn to Ronald tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Donald, Gerald, Reginald, Ronnie, and Roger.
DonaldGeraldReginaldRonnieRogerWayneRichardRoy
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Ronald | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 438 | #637 |
| 2024 | 497 | #575 |
| 2023 | 457 | #611 |
| 2022 | 532 | #559 |
| 2021 | 505 | #562 |
| 2020 | 503 | #558 |
| 2019 | 541 | #526 |
| 2018 | 588 | #490 |
| 2017 | 660 | #459 |
| 2016 | 728 | #429 |
| 2015 | 704 | #434 |
| 2014 | 791 | #394 |
| 2013 | 745 | #402 |
| 2012 | 797 | #378 |
| 2011 | 889 | #342 |
| 2010 | 913 | #343 |
| 2009 | 926 | #341 |
| 2008 | 1,089 | #307 |
| 2007 | 1,175 | #292 |
| 2006 | 1,374 | #249 |
| 2005 | 1,302 | #255 |
| 2004 | 1,450 | #232 |
| 2003 | 1,406 | #237 |
| 2002 | 1,521 | #227 |
| 2001 | 1,652 | #212 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Ronald a popular boy name?
Ronald ranked #638 among boys in 2025 with 438 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #434.
When was the name Ronald most popular?
Ronald peaked in 1947, when 34,899 American boys received the name (ranked #11 that year). Since 1947 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Ronald?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,110 newborn American boys was named Ronald. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.