Name of the Week: Ralph

 

Origin:

Ralph derives from both the Old Norse name Ráðúlfr and its Old English counterpart Rædwulf.  The second part of the name (ON ulfr and OE wulf) means "wolf." The first element — ON ráð and OE ræd — had several meanings**. Generally it is translated as "advice, counsel," but it could also mean decision, help, advantage, wisdom, profit, good fortune, remedy, power, might, household and even marriage.  Ralph can therefore be interpreted in numerous ways, from "wolf-counsel" to "wolf-power;" "decisive as a wolf" or even "wolf of the household." What it meant to the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings (if it meant anything at all other than the merging of two common name elements), however, is impossible to discern.

Usage:

Ráðúlfr merged with its Germanic counterparts becoming Radulf (Radulfus in Latinised form) and later Ralf.  Ralf was used in Britain before the Norman Conquest. Some of this may be indigenous Anglo-Saxon use (Rædwulf) and some may have been thanks to Scandinavian settlers (Ráðúlfr). After 1066, the Normans — who were themselves Viking descendants — brought Radulf/Raulf over with them, more firmly establishing the name in Britain.  Though it mostly appears in medieval records in the latinised form Radulfus, vernacular forms in the 13th and 14th century are recorded as Raff(e) and Rauf/Rawfe. In several cases, the name is written as Raw, indicating that the 'f' in Rauf was silent in certain areas, leading to the diminutive Rawlin/Raulin and surnames Raw(e), Rawes, Rawlin(s), Rawling(s), Rawlingson and Rallins. A great many other surnames attest to how common the name was, including Ralph(s), Ralf(s), Rales, Ralls, Rafe, Raff, Rawle(s), Raffles, Ralphson and Rallison. It was well used among the early Norman peerage families and born by two Archbishops of Canterbury.  In his survey of 1000 names from ten English counties 1377-81, George Redmonds ranks Ralph at #14, which he categorises as "Quite Popular".  The 16th century saw continued regular use of the name, as we can see from Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1700 in England: 1538-49: --; 1550-9: --; 1560-9: #19; 1570-9: #12; 1580-9: #15; 1590-9: #15; 1600-9: #18; 1610-9: #16; 1620-9: #18; 1630-9: #18; 1640-9: #14; 1650-9: #18; 1660-9: #29; 1670-9: #20; 1680-9: #21; 1690-1700: #20. During the "Great Vowel Shift" between 1350-1600 there was a dramatic change in the pronunciation of many words, dividing Southern England from Northern England and Scotland, and the name Ralph was no exception. In Southern England and the Midlands, "RAYF" became the common pronunciation. In Scotland and Northern England, it was pronounced more like RAHF, rhyming with 'half' or 'calf' and later RALF (similar to the German pronunciation of Ralf).**  The Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) Interestingly, data from the 1881 census shows that the name Ralph was most common in the north of England in the 19th century, where the latter pronunciation had been more common.  Given that Ralph was used amongst notable aristocratic families, such as the Percys and the Nevilles, who adopted the Southern English (which became "standard" English) pronunciation of "RAYF", we can see how this became widely viewed as the standard "British" pronunciation, as opposed to the American pronunciation of Ralph (which has always been RALF as in Germany and Scotland/northern England). [The current Duke of Northumberland, Ralph Percy (b. 1956), for example, though technically a "northerner" is first and foremost an aristocrat, so it is little wonder that his name is pronounced as RAYF.] Other Ralphs with the RAYF pronunciation include composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958), actor Ralph Fiennes (b. 1962), author and Anglican priest William Ralph Inge (1860-1954) and the character Ralph Rackstraw in Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore (as we can see from Buttercup's aria which rhymes Ralph with 'waif').  Brits with the RALF pronunciation include author Ralph Miliband, actor Ralph Richardson (1902-1983) and philosopher Ralph Walker (b.1944).  Ralph maintained its consistent popularity from the early modern period (as seen in Smith-Bannisters data, above) through the 18th and 19th centuries. In his top 50 rankings, Leslie Dunkling ranks Ralph at #30 in 1700 and #28 in 1800 in England and Wales.  This usage was well maintained through the 19th century and into first half of the 20th century, ranking in England and Wales as follows: 1860: #49 1870: #51 1880: #50 1890: #45 1900: #55 1904: #66 1914: #60 1924: #64 1934: #76 1944: #90 1954: *out of top 100* After 1944, Ralph fell out of the top 100 and gradually declined in use. By 1996, Ralph was at a steady rank between #400-#500, averaging fifty births per year. The name maintained this consistency up until 2003, when the name gradually began to rise, reaching #312 (121 births) in 2007, #230 (212 births) in 2011 and #134 (430 births) in 2014.  In 2015, Ralph ranked #122 with 529 births. Rafe ranked #281 (174 births), Ralphie and Ralphy ranked #438 (93 births) and #692 (48 births) respectively, and Ralf ranked #1380 (18 births).  Ralph is much less popular in Scotland where it ranked #358 (10 births) in 2014, #426 (7 births) in 2015 and #331 (11 births) in 2016.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Ralph the Timid (d. 1057), Earl of Hereford. * Ralph d'Escures (d. 1122), Abbot of Séez, Bishop of Rochester and Archbishop of Canterbury. * Ralph Neville (died 1244), Archbishop of Canterbury. * Ralph de Maidstone (died 1245), Bishop of Hereford. * Ralph de Neville (1364–1425), 1st Earl of Westmorland.  * Ralph Cudworth (1617–1688), English philosopher. * Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), American poet. * Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958), British composer. * Ralph Richardson (1902-1983), British actor. * Ralph Michael (1907-1994), British actor. Contemporary: * Ralph Lauren (born 1939), American fashion designer. * Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland (born 1956), English peer.  * Ralph Fiennes (born 1962), British actor. Literature and Other Media: * Ralph, the main character of William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies (1954). * Ralph, the main character of animation Wreck It Ralph (2012).

Variants:

Raoul (French, Italian), Raul (Italian, Portuguese), Raúl (Spanish)

Pronunciation:

RALF / RAYF [key]

Possible diminutives:

Ralphie, Raffie

Sibling Names:

Martha     Violet     Edith    Beatrice    Clara     Iris       Oscar     Felix     Rupert     Wilfred     Jasper     Hugh

Name Lists:

Slim Softies  Victorian Darlings

 

If you like Ralph you may also like:   Alfred, Rufus, Walter, Miles, Silas, Monty, Albert, Toby, Rhodri, Cedric

Thanks to Marie for requesting Ralph.