Boys' name · peaked in 1943
Ronald name popularity since 1925
1,074,507 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Ronald. Half of them were born in 1953 or earlier, so the typical Ronald is about 73 years old in 2026. Ronald peaked in 1943 as the #9 name for boys, and it ranked #638 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 1,074,507
- Named Ronald, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #638
- for boys in 2025 (438 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.6% boys
- 3,823 girls · 1,070,684 boys
- Most popular in
- District of Columbia
- 1.55× its national share
Peak year is the year Ronald made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Ronald births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year by count was 1947. Measured as a share of all babies, Ronald peaked in 1943.
- Fastest rise: Between 1927 and 1932, Ronald became 3.9× more common.
- Steepest fall: Between 1969 and 1974, its share of baby boys fell by 40%, from 1 in 122 to 1 in 205.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Ronald's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Ronald.
Decade by decade
Babies named Ronald in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 95 | 15,520 | – |
| 1930s | 482 | 140,332 | #12 |
| 1940s | 701 | 282,489 | #10 |
| 1950s | 715 | 271,139 | #18 |
| 1960s | 800 | 182,190 | #24 |
| 1970s | 598 | 81,730 | #46 |
| 1980s | 375 | 46,670 | #71 |
| 1990s | 57 | 26,681 | #146 |
| 2000s | 0 | 13,645 | #255 |
| 2010s | 0 | 7,356 | #435 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 2,932 | #638 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
47.0% of babies named Ronald from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Baby Boom years (1946–1964). The full split by generation:
Where Ronald is most popular
The index compares Ronald's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Ronald.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1.55× | 7,742 |
| West Virginia | 1.51× | 14,405 |
| Pennsylvania | 1.50× | 82,526 |
| Iowa | 1.49× | 20,478 |
| South Dakota | 1.47× | 5,066 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Ronald's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Ronald.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Ronald (1943).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data