Ralph (name)

Ralph (pronounced ralf /rælf/; or, more traditionally, rayf /reɪf/^[1]) is an English, Irish, Scottish, Dutch, Scandinavian and German male given name, derived from Old Norse Raðulfr (rað "counsel" + ulfr "wolf") through Old English Rædwulf and the longer form Radulf.^[2]

The most common forms are:

• Ralph, the common variant form in the English language, traditionally pronounced /reɪf/ but now commonly /rælf/, as spelled

Other forms of the name are:

• Rafe, variant form which is a relatively rare male first name; it is pronounced /reɪf/, the same as the traditional but infrequent English pronunciation of Ralph.
• Raef, variant form which is a very rare male first name (e.g. Raef Bjayou).
• Raff, variant form which is a very rare male first name.
• Raif, variant form which is a very rare male first name.^[3]
• Ralf, the traditional variant form in the Dutch, German and Swedish languages (although Ralph is also used as a given name in German and Swedish).
• Raoul, the traditional variant form in the French language.
• Raúl, the traditional variant form in the Spanish language.
• Raul, the traditional variant form in the Portuguese and Italian languages.
• Raül, the traditional variant form in the Catalan language.
• Rádhulbh, the traditional variant form in the Irish language.

See also

• Radulf (disambiguation)

References