Randal (given name)

Randall is derived from a medieval name composed of two elements: "shield" or "rim" + "wolf".
Pronunciation	/ˈrændl/
Gender	Masculine
Language(s)	English
Language(s)	English
Word/name	Randall (surname)
Variant form(s)	Randal, Randel, Randell, Randle
Pet form(s)
See also	Raghnall, Rághnall, Rand, Randolf, Randolph, Randulf, Randwulf, Rannulbh, Rannúlfr, Röndúlfr

Randall /ˈrændl/ is a masculine given name in English and German . Its modern use as a given name originates from the transferred use of the English–language surname Randall. which in turn is derived from Randolf.

There several variant spellings of the English given name; these include Randal, Randel, Randell, and Randle. The pet form is . The form Randal has also used as an Anglicisation of an etymologically unrelated Irish and Scottish Gaelic name Raghnall,. This Anglicisation has been noted as being particularly common amongst several Irish families of note. Randal has not been among the 1,000 most popular masculine baby names in the United States since 1994, and Randall has been among the top 1,000 names since 1906. According to US Census data, in 1990 both names were among the top 500 most popular masculine names in the country. Neither name is currently among the 100 most popular masculine (or feminine) baby names in either the United Kingdom nor the Republic of Ireland.

The modern given name Randall, /ˈrændl/, is derived from the transferred use of the surname Randall. There have been two explanations for the origin of this surname. One explanation is that the surname is derived from the Middle English personal name Randel. This name is a diminutive of the mediaeval personal name Rand compounded with the Anglo Norman hypocoristic suffix -el. The Middle English Rand can be a short form of any of several names composed of the first element rand, meaning "shield" or "rim"; or the Old Norse short first name Randr (variant form Randi, Old Danish Rand), however the specific names associated with Randel are Randulf and Randolf—names that were brought to England by the Normans. Another explanation for the surname Randall, is that it is merely an apocopal form, or mediaeval vernacular form of Randolf.