Ralph
Ralph is an English, Irish, Scottish, Dutch, Scandinavian, and German masculine given name, derived from the Old Norse Raðulfr through Old English Rædwulf and the longer form Radulf. It is also a surname and often a nickname of Rudolph, a name deriving from two stems: Hrōþi, Hruod, Hróðr or Hrōð, meaning "fame", "glory", and olf meaning "wolf".
The most common forms are:
- Ralph, the common variant form in the English language.
- Rafe, variant form which is a relatively rare male first name; it is pronounced.
- Raife, variant form which is a very rare male first name.
- Raif, variant form which is a very rare male first name.
- Ralf, the traditional variant form in the Dutch, German, Swedish and Polish languages.
- Ralfs, the traditional variant form in the Latvian language.
- 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.
Given name
Middle Ages
- Ralph the Timid, pre-Conquest Norman earl of Hereford, England
- Ralph de Gael, the Earl of East Anglia and Lord of Gaël and Montfort, leader of the Revolt of the Earls
- Ralph de Diceto, archdeacon of Middlesex, dean of St Paul's Cathedral, and author of two chronicles, the Abbreviationes chronicorum and the Ymagines historiarum
- Ralph d'Escures, Abbot of Séez, Bishop of Rochester and Archbishop of Canterbury
- Ralph Neville, Archbishop of Canterbury
- Ralph de Maidstone, Bishop of Hereford
- Ralph Baldock, Bishop of London and Lord Chancellor of England in 1307
- Ralph Stratford, Bishop of London
- Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, English peer
- Ralph Percy, English knight
- Saint Ralph Sherwin, Catholic Saint and English Martyr
Modern world
- Ralph Abercromby, Scottish soldier and politician, one of the principal commanders of French Revolutionary Wars and French campaign in Egypt and Syria
- Ralph Abernathy, American civil rights leader, minister and a close associate of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Ralph Abraham , American mathematician
- Ralph Abraham , member of the US House of Representatives
- Ralph Adams Cram, American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings
- Ralph Allen
- Ralph Backstrom, Canadian retired National Hockey League player
- Ralph Bakshi, American director of animated and live-action films
- Ralph Bass, American rhythm and blues record producer and talent scout for several independent labels
- Ralph Beard, American basketball player
- Ralph F. Beermann, American politician, member of the US House of Representatives
- Ralph Bellamy, American actor
- Ralph Blane, American composer, lyricist and performer
- Ralf Bochröder, German marathon runner
- Ralph Branca, American Major League Baseball pitcher
- Ralph Brown, English actor and writer
- Ralph Bunche, American political scientist, academic and diplomat
- Ralph Burns, American songwriter, bandleader, composer, conductor, arranger and bebop pianist
- Ralph Byrd, American actor
- Ralph Carmichael, composer and arranger of secular pop music and contemporary Christian music
- Ralph Chaplin, American writer, artist and labor activist
- Ralph Chase, American football player
- Ralph Louis Cohen, American mathematician
- Ralph Connor, Canadian novelist and church leader
- Ralph Connor , American chemist
- Ralph Cooperman, British Olympic fencer
- Ralph D. Cornell, American landscape architect
- Ralph Cudworth, English philosopher, the leader of the Cambridge Platonists
- Ralph DeLoach, American football player
- Ralph Drollinger, American basketball player and clergyman
- Ralph Earl, American painter known for his portraits
- Ralph Edwards
- Ralph Ellison, American novelist, literary critic and scholar
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist, lecturer and poet
- Ralph Fiennes, English actor and director
- Ralph Foster
- Ralph A. Gamble, Republican politician who represented Westchester County, New York in the United States House of Representatives
- Ralph Goldstein, American Olympic épée fencer
- Ralph E. Gomory, American applied mathematician and IBM executive
- Ralph Horween, American football player for Harvard Crimson and in the NFL, centenarian
- Ralf Hütter, German musician
- Ralph Ince, American pioneer film actor, director and screenwriter
- Ralph Isselhardt, American football player
- Ralph Jackson, American basketball player
- Ralph Jarvis, American player of gridiron football
- Ralph Johnson
- Ralph Jones, American high school and college football and basketball coach
- Ralph Kerr, officer in the Royal Navy who served in First and Second World Wars
- Ralph Kiner, American Hall-of-Fame Major League Baseball player
- Ralph Klein, Canadian politician, Premier of Alberta
- Ralph Klein , Israeli basketball player and coach
- Ralph Knibbs, British rugby union player
- Ralph Kuncl, American neurologist and academic
- Ralph Lauren, American fashion designer
- Ralph Macchio, American actor
- Ralph McQuarrie, American conceptual designer and illustrator, noted for his work in the Star Wars trilogy
- Ralph Michael, English actor
- Ralf Moeller, German actor
- Ralph Morgan, American actor
- Ralph Morgan , Welsh rugby union and league player
- Ralph Nader, American political activist, author, lecturer and attorney
- Ralph Nichols, English badminton player
- Ralph Nichols , American politician and college football player and head coach
- Ralph Northam, American politician
- Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland, English landowner
- Ralph David Richardson, English actor
- Ralph Sadler, English diplomat, Privy Councillor, Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Ralph Shortey, American politician
- Ralph O. Smart, British YouTuber and counselor
- Ralph F. Smart, British film producer and director
- Ralph Stanley, American bluegrass/traditional music performer
- Ralph Terry, American former professional baseball player and golfer
- Ralph A. Vaughn, African-American academic, architect and film set designer
- Ralph Waite, American actor and political activist
- Ralph Wammack, American politician, Missouri senator
- Ralph Webb , American football player
- Ralph Vaughan Williams, English composer
- Ralph Wilson, founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills National Football League team
- Ralph Yarborough, American politician, longtime Senator from Texas
- Ralph Young
- Ralph Young , American singer and actor
Surname
- Bo Ralph, Swedish linguist
- Brian Ralph, American cartoonist
- Caleb Ralph, New Zealand rugby union footballer
- Damani Ralph, Jamaican football player
- David Ralph, Scottish field hockey forward
- Dicky Ralph, Welsh international rugby player
- Elena Ralph, Miss Israel 2005
- Elsie Reasoner Ralph, The first female war correspondent in US history
- Glencora Ralph, Australian water polo player
- Hanna Ralph, German actress
- J. Ralph, American composer, singer/songwriter and producer
- Josh Ralph, Australian athlete
- James Ralph, American-born English political writer, historian and reviewer
- James Ralph , English cricketer
- Jessie Ralph, American actress
- Kharis Ralph, Canadian former ice dancer
- Mark Ralph, Scottish field hockey player
- Michael Ralph, American actor and comedian
- Nathan Ralph, English footballer
- Richard Ralph, British ambassador
- Richard Ralph, American politician, Missouri senator
- Shea Ralph, American basketball player and coach
- Sheryl Lee Ralph, American actress and singer
Fictional characters
- Ralph Cifaretto, on The Sopranos
- Ralph Kramden, portrayed by Jackie Gleason on The Honeymooners
- Ralph Wiggum, on The Simpsons
- Ralph Malph, on Happy Days
- Ralph Furley, on Three's Company
- Ralph Jones, title character of King Ralph, a 1991 American comedy film starring John Goodman
- the title character of Ralph 124C 41+, a 1911 science fiction novel
- Ralph, in the Wolf and Sheepdog Warner Bros. cartoons
- Raffish Ralph, fin the Berenstain Bears cartoon series
- Ralph, from the comic strip Drabble
- Ralph, from the comic strip Sally Forth
- Ralph Dring, in the UK sitcom Dear John
- Ralph Drang, in the US sitcom Dear John
- Wreck-It Ralph, the title character of the 2012 Disney computer animated film Wreck-It Ralph
- Ralph "Ralphie" Parker, main character/narrator of the 1983 Christmas movie A Christmas Story
- Ralph Theodore Guard, a security guard at Warner Bros. in the animated series Animaniacs
- Ralph, a giant wolf monster from the video game Rampage
- Ralph in Rotten Ralph children's picture books
- The title character from the children's novel The Mouse and the Motorcycle
- Ralph Rackstraw in the comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore
- Sir Ralph Shawcross from the TV series You Rang, M'Lord?
- Ralph Hinkley "Hankley" from the TV series The Greatest American Hero
- Ralphie Tennelli, character in Magic School Bus
- Ralph, the main protagonist in William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, and also the two film adaptations: the 1963 film and the 1990 film.
- Ralph, on