Surname Randal - Meaning and Origin

Randal: What does the surname Randal mean?

The surname Randal is of medieval English origin and is derived from the given name Randel, which is a diminutive of the name Randolf. The name Randolf is itself composed of two Old Norse elements: "rand", which signifies "border or edge", and "úlfr", meaning "wolf". Consequently, Randal could be loosely interpreted to mean "wolf of the border" or "shield wolf". The wolf was considered a symbol of power, wisdom, and guidance in many ancient cultures, while the shield or border could represent protection, making the name signify a protective, wise, and strong leader. Over the centuries, the spelling of the surname has evolved and alternative versions can include Randall, Rendell, or Randell. The name was popular in the Middle Ages due to the respect for St. Randal, a missionary who was martyred in the 14th century. Today, the surname Randal is found predominantly in English-speaking countries, but can also found in different variants across Europe.

Randal: Where does the name Randal come from?

The last name Randal is common today in much of the English-speaking world, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 Population Estimates Program, the last name Randal was listed as 23,717th out of the most frequently used last names in the United States.

Randal is a relatively popular surname of Anglo-Norman origin and is used in England and Wales where it is highest in popularity in the city of Nottingham. In the United Kingdom, according to the Forebears website, the last name is also common in the countries of Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, and Isle of Man. The surname is also popular in Canada and appears to be slightly more common in the provinces of British Columbia and Nova Scotia.

In Australia, the name is quite common and appears in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia. The Randal last name can also be found in various African countries including Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Uganda, and Burkina Faso. In France, the last name appears to be relatively uncommon.

Overall, the last name Randal is common in much of the English-speaking world, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Variations of the surname Randal

The surname Randal has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.

Randal is derived from the Germanic personal name Randwulf, which is composed of the elements 'Rand' meaning shield or shield border, and 'wulf' meaning wolf. The name was particularly popular in the Middle Ages and was introduced to England by the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is sometimes found in Ireland with the variant name of Randle.

The variant spellings of Randal are Rinderl, Rendl, Renderl, Raindl, Reindal, Reinl, Rindel, Rendel, Raindel, Randel, Rindl, Reynl, and Raindle.

Randal has further derivatives such as Randolph, Randolf, Randle, Randles, Rendall, Rendles, Raindle, Rendell, Rendal, Rendells, Rendle, Randleman, and Rantle.

In Scotland, the surname can be seen as Randall, Renton, Rentin, Renten, Rannall, Rundle, Rinall, and Rundell.

In Ireland, Randles is further spelled as O'Rendles, Randalls, Randaw, Rendels, Rendles, Rendilly, Randal, and Rendall.

In France, many of the spellings of Randal have evolved into surnames such as Raindel, Randell, Rawdell, Rawl, Raddon, Randon, Randou, Randoi and Randoux.

The surname Randal can also be seen in various shortened versions such as Randall, Ratliff, Roff, Rief, Rietz, and Rande.

In the United States, some of these variants have taken on alternative spellings such as Randoll, Randahl, Rendahl, Ranall, Randall, Randalys, Randalias, and Randyl.

In Russia, the name has evolved into Randalevich, Randlevich and Randolvich.

These are some of the spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin of the surname Randal.

Famous people with the name Randal

• Andy Randal: A professional music producer and composer who has produced songs for artists such as Maroon 5, Flo Rida, and Kelly Clarkson.
• Tina Randall: An international model, actress, and TV presenter from Australia.
• Sean Randal: A former NBA and NCAA basketball player from California.
• Richard Randall: A British actor who is best known for his role in the hit television show Merlin.
• Mark Randal: An American film director, writer, and producer who directed major films such as The Social Network and Tropic Thunder.
• Carol Randal: A philanthropist and certified public accountant from Chicago.
• Stephen Randal: An award-winning Canadian screenwriter best known for his work on critically acclaimed films such as Room and The Engineer.
• Phillip Randal: An Australian Olympic swimmer who won three gold medals in the 1948 Summer Olympics.
• Timothy Randal: An American jazz musician who composed the song "Let Me Ride".
• Brigitte Randal: A French actress and model who has appeared in several French films.

Other surnames

Randall