Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Ralph

Ralph is an English, German and Scandinavian masculine name from the ancient Norse Ráðúlfr. The name’s etymological meaning is essentially “wolf counsel” from the Old Norse elements “ráð” meaning “counsel” and “úlfr” meaning “wolf”. Early Scandinavian settlers brought the name Ráðúlfr to England pre-Middle Ages where it was adopted into Olde English as Rædwulf. Later when the Normans invaded England (1066) the name was further cemented by the French version Raulf. The name was adjusted to Ralf in Middle English and the classical “ph” replaced the “f” in the 18th century. Ralph is also pronounced as either RALF or RAYF and is most popular today in the Netherlands. The Italian, Portuguese and Spanish form of Ralph (Raúl) is much more common in the Spanish speaking world than Ralph is in the English.

All About the Baby Name – Ralph

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME RALPH

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME RALPH

Poor old Ralph is barely hanging onto the American naming charts right now. But his sad, lowly position today is not reflective of his past glory days. In fact, at the turn of the 20th century more than 100 years ago, Ralph was the 31st most commonly used baby boy’s name in the country. And that wasn’t even his peak success. Between 1914 and 1917 Ralph was ranked at position #21 on the charts. For most of the first three decades of the 1900s Ralph was a top name choice among parents of baby boys. By the 1970s, however, it became clear that Ralph was going out of style. The name’s drops on the charts became much more pronounced by the 1990s and into the 21st century. It’s really only a matter of time before this name loses a place on the Top 1000 list completely. Perhaps this has something to do with Ralph’s characterizations on television over the years. The 1950s introduced us to the hot-headed, blue-collared abrasive husband Ralph Kramden from the “The Honeymooners”. The 1970s gave us the goofy adolescent girl-obsessed practical-joking Ralph Malph from “Happy Days” and finally in the 1990s the creators of “The Simpsons” debuted the character of Ralph Wiggum, the innocuous pants-peeing, nose-picking schoolyard weirdo who was once (we later learn) dropped on his head as a baby. Not the best pop-culture references, but do take solace in the fact that all of these characters share one thing in common: they despite their many eccentricities they are kind-hearted souls. We supposed Ralph may make a comeback after a few generations of retirement, but for now it seems this is a name reserved for dogs and grandpas.

Quick Facts

ON RALPH

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

1

RANKING POPULARITY:

953

PRONUNCIATION:

RALF, RAYF

SIMPLE MEANING:

Wolf counsel

Characteristics

OF RALPH

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Ralph

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME RALPH

Ralph is the leading character in William Goldman’s 1954 classic, Lord of the Flies, about a group of wartime British schoolboys stranded after an evacuation airlift crashes over a tropical island. Ralph is the boy who is elected leader by the others as they make their way toward a microcosm of self-government, and he takes to the position as a duck to water. Ralph is an attractive, sensible and charismatic boy who takes his leadership duties seriously, appointing subordinates, forming survivalist teams, holding meetings and planning strategies for rescue from the island. All of Ralph’s sterling qualities are no match, however, for the collective mob mentality that gradually takes over the boys. Factions split off, superstitious paranoia prevails, and the hegemony of power lust falls into place. Soon Ralph finds himself in a battle for his very life against the darkest instincts of savagery, and even more disturbingly, he finds the kernels of this condition within himself. Rescue comes to Ralph and his island mates, but he can never be rescued from the knowledge of the beast that lies within.

Ralph is the um, er, well, uh, is the, well, he appears in Judy Blume’s 1975 young adult novel, Forever, and that’s his name. He shares the stage with the heroine, Katherine Danziger, a high school senior, who is in love with Michael Wagner, who knows Ralph quite well (because Ralph is the name given to Michael’s penis; there we said it). In time, Katherine gets to know Ralph quite well, also. Katherine and Michael fall in love, and so does Ralph, who is in on their many conversations leading up to the decision to “do it” or not to “do it”. Well, they “do it”, and so does Ralph. In fact, Ralph has the starring role. This caused a tremendous amount of consternation to the reading public at the time (and to many now), due to the book’s openness about teen sexuality, pre-marital sex , birth control and the use of blunt, descriptive language. The characters in the book did not take these subjects lightly, but they did not arrive at the hysterical level of much of the outside world. Through it all, Ralph comported himself with dignity and elan, at varying degrees. It is no surprise that the young lovers do not hold a monopoly on the concept of “forever”, and they mutually decide to part after a summer away from each other. Ralph is sad, but having no choice in the matter, leaves with one of the protagonists. And they all live happily ever after. Really. Because Ralph has the good taste not to be coy, like some people we are, er, that is, we mean.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME RALPH

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Ralph


Popular Songs

ON RALPH

Happy Birthday Ralph
a song by Atom and His Package

Famous People

NAMED RALPH

Ralph Waldo Emerson (American philosopher/poet)
Ralph Lauren (fashion designer)
Ralph Fiennes (actor)
Ralph Waldo Ellison (American author)
Ralph Abernathy (Civil Rights leader)
Ralph Nader (consumer rights activist)
Ralph Maccio (actor)
Ralph Vaughan-Williams (British composer)
Ralph Richardson (English actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED RALPH

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Ralph

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME RALPH

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American writer, lecturer, philosopher and leader of the Transcendentalist movement of self-reliance of the mid- 19th century, whose number included Henry David Thoreau, Bronson Alcott, Louisa May Alcott, Walt Whitman and Margaret Fuller. Praising the relationship between man and nature, Ralph Emerson asserted that this was important to man’s essential soul, and that in pursuing the path of virtuous individualism, he paved the way to infinity. He also outraged the Christian community with his solid belief in the goodness of the Christ figure, but not the absolute divinity. In his view, everything and everyone is connected to God, therefore, all is divine. During the Civil War, Emerson was an active abolitionist, often harboring its proponents in his home in Concord, Massachusetts. Admiration of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s character and the unencumbered nature of his philosophy of the human condition are almost as widespread today as they were in his times. In his own words, he embraces a philosophy that resonates as strongly with us today as it did with his contemporaries: “I dare attempt to lay out my own road/That which myself delights in shall be Good/That which I do not want – indifferent,/That which I hate is Bad.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the greatest American thinkers who believed in the boundlessness of the private man, individualism and the connection between man and nature in the universe. His philosophy was at the center of the American transcendental movement, and his most widely read essay, "Nature” (1833) represented 10 years of intensive study in religion, philosophy and literature. His writings would have a profound influence on some other great American thinkers: Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman. Some great quotes by Emerson include: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” And “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the greatest American thinkers who believed in the boundlessness of the private man, individualism and the connection between man and nature in the universe. His philosophy was at the center of the American transcendental movement, and his most widely read essay, "Nature” (1833) represented 10 years of intensive study in religion, philosophy and literature. His writings would have a profound influence on some other great American thinkers: Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman. Some great quotes by Emerson include: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” And “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the greatest American thinkers who believed in the boundlessness of the private man, individualism and the connection between man and nature in the universe. His philosophy was at the center of the American transcendental movement, and his most widely read essay, "Nature” (1833) represented 10 years of intensive study in religion, philosophy and literature. His writings would have a profound influence on some other great American thinkers: Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman. Some great quotes by Emerson include: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” And “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”