Randal is a name of English origin, derived from the Germanic elements "rand" meaning "shield" and "wulf" meaning "wolf". It is a variant form of the name Randall, which was historically used as a surname before becoming popular as a given name.
The name Randal first appeared in England during the Middle Ages, with the Normans introducing it after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Initially, it was used primarily as a surname, but over time, it began to be used as a given name as well.
In medieval times, Randal was associated with several notable figures, including Randal, Earl of Chester, who played a significant role in the politics and wars of the late 11th and early 12th centuries. This may have contributed to the popularity of the name during this period.
Today, Randal is still used as a given name, although it is not as common as it once was. It is often spelled with one "l" at the end, but variants such as Randall, Randell, and Randolf are also used. Overall, Randal is a strong and distinctive name with an interesting history and a meaningful meaning.
The statistics you provided show the annual number of births with the name Randal in the United States from 1909 to 2023.
Overall, there have been a total of 29,156 babies named Randal born in the US during this period. The name's popularity has varied significantly over the years, with some decades seeing many more births than others.
In the early 20th century, between 1909 and 1923, there were fewer than 30 births per year on average. However, from the late 1940s onwards, the popularity of the name Randal began to increase significantly. Between 1946 and 1959, the number of annual births with this name rose from 187 to 1,477, representing a more than sevenfold increase.
The name Randal reached its peak popularity in 1957, with 1,458 babies being named Randal that year. This was followed by two more years of high popularity, with 1,477 births in 1958 and 1,434 in 1959.
However, after this peak, the popularity of the name began to decline. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the number of annual births with the name Randal had dropped significantly, with fewer than 600 births per year on average between 1965 and 1975.
This downward trend continued throughout the rest of the 20th century, with the number of annual births with the name Randal falling to triple digits by the early 1980s. Since then, the popularity of the name has continued to decline, with fewer than 30 births per year on average in recent years.
In fact, between 2016 and 2023, there have been fewer than 30 babies named Randal born each year, with a total of just 175 births during this seven-year period. This represents less than 1% of the total number of babies named Randal born in the US since 1909.
In conclusion, while the name Randal was quite popular for several decades mid-century, its popularity has declined significantly in recent years. However, despite its waning popularity, the name Randal remains a part of American naming history, with thousands of individuals bearing this name across the United States.