Total births
1,082,247
Boys' name · since 1883
Ronald
Since 1883, U.S. Social Security records show 1,082,247 babies named Ronald, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #575
- among boys today
- 1,082,247
- born since 1883
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Ronald currently ranks #575 among boys' names in America, with 1,082,247 babies recorded since 1883.
Ronald has 1,082,247 recorded births among boys since 1883, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #575 as of the latest data, more common than 96% of boys, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1883 to 2025.
- #575 among boys today
- 1,082,247 born since 1883
- 1940s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ronald is currently the #575 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 1,082,247 born since 1883, peaking in the 1940s.
- #575
- among boys today
- 1,082,247
- born since 1883
- 1940s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Ronald vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#575
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
1940s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Ronald was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
34,899 babies were named Ronald in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Ronald compares
1,082,247 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ronald's all-time total is 2,949x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ronald | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,082,247 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 34,899 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ronald's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ronald's full recorded timeline at 1955, 45% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 55% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1883, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1947 peak of 34,899 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ronald at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1947
Current rank
#575
Active since
1883
Ronald popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 34,899
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Ronald popularity over time - girls
3,844 total births recorded since 1919 (Ronald as girls' name)
Ronald by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1940s was Ronald's strongest decade.
282,489 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Ronald births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 63
1880s
63 births
- 1890s 209
1890s
209 births
- 1900s 616
1900s
616 births
- 1910s 5,301
1910s
5,301 births
- 1920s 20,894
1920s
20,894 births
- 1930s
1930s
140,332 births
- 1940s
1940s
282,489 births
- 1950s
1950s
271,139 births
- 1960s
1960s
182,190 births
- 1970s 81,730
1970s
81,730 births
- 1980s 46,670
1980s
46,670 births
- 1990s 26,681
1990s
26,681 births
- 2000s 13,645
2000s
13,645 births
- 2010s 7,356
2010s
7,356 births
- 2020s 2,932
2020s
2,932 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 282,489 births (26% of all-time use).
How Ronald compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ronald's total volume
Ronald vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ronald by state
Where Ronald concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 84,752 | 7.8% |
| #2 | California | | 84,664 | 7.8% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 83,189 | 7.7% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 70,372 | 6.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 70,343 | 6.5% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 60,361 | 5.6% |
| #7 | Texas | | 41,384 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 32,897 | 3.0% |
New York share of Ronald's total US births 7.8%
Even split
84,752 of 1,082,247 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ronald appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ronald? ▼
Since 1883, Social Security records show 1,082,247 babies named Ronald. Today it holds rank #575 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1947, with 34,899 births.
When was Ronald most popular? ▼
Ronald was most popular in the 1940s decade with 282,489 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Ronald most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ronald are New York (84,752 births), California (84,664 births), Pennsylvania (83,189 births).
How long has the name Ronald been used? ▼
Ronald has been recorded in Social Security data since 1883, spanning 143 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ronald? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ronnie, Ron, Ronan, Ronny, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ronald's data
- Ronald's decade-level peak was the 1940s (282,489 total births); usage has since declined to 2,932 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ronalds (84,752 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ronald
Nearby Names Like Ronald
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ronald
Ronnie Boy
#994 182,926 births
Ron Boy
#3623 36,362 births
Ronan Boy
#257 20,679 births
Ronny Boy
#2533 14,567 births
Ronin Boy
#495 10,272 births
Compare Ronald side by side: Ronald vs Ronnie Ronald vs Ron Ronald vs Ronan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ronald
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1883–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ronald: #575 Boys' Name - 1,082,247 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ronald. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ronald draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.