Randall is a name of English origin that has been used for centuries. It is derived from the Old German elements "rand" meaning "shield" and "wald" meaning "rule". Therefore, the name Randall translates to "powerful ruler".
The name Randall was first recorded in England during the Middle Ages. It was likely brought to Britain by the Normans after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Initially, it was a surname that denoted someone who lived near a fortified area or served as a guard.
Over time, Randall evolved from being primarily used as a surname to also being used as a given name. In the United States, for example, its usage as a first name began to increase significantly during the mid-20th century.
Some notable individuals with the name Randall include American actor Randy Quaid, former Canadian ice hockey player and coach Randy Carlyle, and Australian musician Randall Waller, who performs under the stage name "Randall".
The statistics provided show the number of births with the name Randall in the United States from 1880 to 2023. The popularity of this name has varied significantly over time.
In the late 19th century, Randall was a relatively uncommon name, with fewer than 15 births per year between 1880 and 1894. However, starting from around 1897, there was a noticeable increase in popularity, reaching its first peak in the early 20th century. Between 1907 and 1916, there were more than 150 births per year with the name Randall.
The popularity of the name continued to grow throughout the mid-20th century, reaching a significant peak during the post-World War II baby boom era. From 1946 to 1967, there were more than 3,000 births per year with the name Randall each year, with the highest number of births recorded in 1956 at nearly 7,000.
However, from around 1968 onwards, the popularity of the name began to decline. This trend continued until the late 1980s and early 1990s, during which time there were fewer than 2,000 births per year with the name Randall.
Despite this decline in popularity, Randall remained a reasonably common name throughout most of the latter half of the 20th century. However, since around the turn of the millennium, there has been a more significant decrease in its popularity. From 2000 onwards, fewer than 500 births per year with the name Randall were recorded each year, reaching an all-time low of just 153 births in 2022.
Overall, while Randall was once a popular and common name in the United States, its popularity has declined significantly since the mid-20th century. Despite this, it remains a name with historical significance, having been given to thousands of children over more than a century.