Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Ronald” come from?

Ronald derives from Old Norse Rǫgnvaldr, composed of Old Norse rǫgn and Proto-Germanic waldą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European waldʰ-, meaning to rule or govern.

Ancestry of “Ronald”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Scottish GaelicRaghnall—
2Old NorseRǫgnvaldr—
3Proto-GermanicRaginawaldazA male given name
4Proto-Germanicraginądecision, advice, counsel
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanHrokéno-—
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanHrok-—

Words derived from “Ronald”

  • Ronny
  • Ronny
  • Ronald
Every word from Proto-Indo-European Hrok- →