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 name Randal experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the years. It started with a low of 9 births in 1909, but by 1947, it peaked at an impressive 267 births. The name maintained high popularity throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, with numbers ranging from 823 to 1477 births per year. However, since the mid-1960s, there has been a steady decline in its usage, reaching an all-time low of 11 births in 2023. Overall, there have been a total of 29156 births with the name Randal from 1909 to 2023.