Given name & surname
Randolph
“the wolf shield”
Randolph is used as a given name and a surname. One German interpretation is “the wolf shield.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “the wolf shield.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is German.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Randolph through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 49,536
- 49,424 boys · 112 girls
- Most popular year
- 1952
- 1,817 babies
- 2025
- 20
- #5,003 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −39%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 20 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,003 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 38.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,817 in 1952. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 28,785 as a first name in 2020; 39,297 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Randolph’s family of names
In English usage, Randolph has a diminutive in Randy. Randolph has a related form in Ranulfo. In English usage, Randolph has a diminutive in Rand.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Randolph has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its German roots to each of them.
10 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 14
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Randolph
- Pete BestBritish musician, former member of the Beatlesborn 1941
- Ornette ColemanAmerican jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer (1930–2015)
- Trey ParkerAmerican actor, animator and filmmaker (born 1969)
- Randolph ScottAmerican actor (1898–1987)
- Lord Randolph ChurchillBritish politician, father of Winston Churchill (1849-1895)
- Randolph Bresnikastronaut, Fighter pilotborn 1967
- Randolph ChurchillBritish politician, son of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1911-1968)
- Randolph CaldecottBritish artist and illustrator (1846-1886)
- Randy BachmanCanadian musicianborn 1943
Characters named Randolph: Elongated Man (fictional character), Randolph Carter (fictional human).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Randolph, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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