Ronald is the Scottish form of the Old Norse Rögnvaldr, which combines regin, "counsel", with valdr, "ruler", and is usually read as a ruler who governs with counsel. It was one of the most popular American boys' names of the 1930s and 1940s and later belonged to President Ronald Reagan. Ronald was number 203 in the United States in 2000, 435 in 2015 and ranks 638 in 2025.