Ralph

{{Infobox given name

| name = Ralph

| gender = Male

| meaning = "Wolf counsel"

| region =

| related names = Raul, Raoul, Ralphie, Rudolph

|see also = Robert, Roland, Roger, Rose, Roderick, Rodney, Raymond

|image=Siege_of_Norwich_castle_from_Project_Gutenberg's_The_Siege_of_Norwich_Castle,_by_Matilda_Maria_Blake._2012.jpg|caption=Ralph de Gael}}

Ralph (pronounced {{IPAc-en|r|æ|l|f}} or {{IPAc-en|r|eɪ|f}}){{cite web|url=http://alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxwordsw.html |title=AUE: FAQ excerpt: Words whose spelling has influenced their pronunciation |publisher=Alt-usage-english.org |access-date=2018-04-18}} is a male name of English origin, derived from the Old English Rædwulf and Old High German Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse Raðulfr (rað "counsel" and ulfr "wolf").[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Ralph Online Etymology Dictionary]

The most common forms are:

Ralph, the common variant form in English, which takes either of the given pronunciations.
Rafe, variant form which is less common; this spelling is always pronounced {{IPAc-en|r|eɪ|f}}.
Raif, a very rare variant.{{cite web |url=http://info.gcsu.edu/tip/archives/2007/H.M.S.PinaforeatRussellTh.html |title='H.M.S. Pinafore' at Russell Thursday through Sunday |access-date=2008-09-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709203707/http://info.gcsu.edu/tip/archives/2007/H.M.S.PinaforeatRussellTh.html |archive-date=2012-07-09 }} Raif Rackstraw from H.M.S. Pinafore
Ralf, the traditional variant form in Dutch, German, Swedish, and Polish.
Ralfs, the traditional variant form in Latvian.
Raoul, the traditional variant form in French.
Raúl, the traditional variant form in Spanish.
Raul, the traditional variant form in Portuguese and Italian.
Raül, the traditional variant form in Catalan.
Rádhulbh, the traditional variant form in Irish.

First name

=Middle Ages=

Ralph the Timid (died 1057), pre-Conquest Norman earl of Hereford, England
Ralph de Gael (1042–1096), the Earl of East Anglia (Norfolk and Suffolk) and Lord of Gaël and Montfort, leader of the Revolt of the Earls
Ralph d'Escures (died 1122), Abbot of Séez, Bishop of Rochester and Archbishop of Canterbury
Ralph (administrator) (died 1174), Bishop of Bethlehem
Ralph de Warneville (died 1191), twentieth Lord Chancellor of England as well as later Bishop of Lisieux in Normandy
Ralph de Diceto (c. 1120 – c. 1202), archdeacon of Middlesex, dean of St Paul's Cathedral (from c. 1180), and author of two chronicles, the Abbreviationes chronicorum and the Ymagines historiarum
Ralph Neville (died 1244), Archbishop of Canterbury
Ralph de Maidstone (died 1245), Bishop of Hereford
Ralph Baldock (died 1313), Bishop of London and Lord Chancellor of England in 1307
Ralph Stratford (c. 1300 – 1354), Bishop of London
Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland (1364–1425), English peer
Ralph Percy (died 1464), English knight
Saint Ralph Sherwin (died 1581), Catholic saint and English martyr

=Modern world=

Ralph Abercromby (1734–1801), Scottish soldier and politician, one of the principal commanders of French Revolutionary Wars and French campaign in Egypt and Syria
Ralph Abernathy (1927–1990), American civil rights leader, minister and a close associate of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ralph Abraham (mathematician) (1936–2024), American mathematician
Ralph Abraham (politician) (born 1954), member of the US House of Representatives
Ralph Adams Cram (1863–1942), American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings
Ralf Akoto (born 1974), German judoka
Ralph Allen (disambiguation)
Ralph Backstrom (1937–2021), Canadian hockey player
Ralph Bakshi (born 1938), American director of animated and live-action films
Ralph Barbieri (1945–2020), American sports radio personality
Ralph Henry Barbour, American novelist, who primarily wrote popular works of sports fiction for boys
Ralf Baartmans, Dutch DJ and Electronic music producer known as Ralvero
Ralph Bass (1911–1997), American rhythm and blues record producer and talent scout for several independent labels
Ralph Beard (1927–2007), American basketball player
Ralf Becker (born 1970), German footballer, coach and administrator
Ralph F. Beermann (1912–1977), American politician, member of the US House of Representatives
Ralph Bellamy (1904–1991), American actor
Ralf Bendix (1924–2014), German singer
Ralph Beebe Blackman (1904–1990), American mathematician and engineer
Ralph Blane (1914–1995), American composer, lyricist and performer
Ralph Blegborough (1769–1827), English physician
Ralf Bochröder (born 1940), German marathon runner
Ralph Branca (1926–2016), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Ralph Brinkhaus (born 1968), German politician
Ralph Brown, English actor and writer
Ralph Bunche (1903–1971), American political scientist, academic and diplomat
Ralph Burns (1922–2001), American songwriter, bandleader, composer, conductor, arranger and bebop pianist
Ralph Byrd (1909–1952), American actor
Ralph Carmichael, composer and arranger of secular pop music and contemporary Christian music
Ralph Chaplin (1887–1961), American writer, artist and labor activist
Ralph Chase (1902–1989), American football player
Ralph Coates (1946 - 2010),English Footballer, Burnley, Tottenham and Leyton Orient
Ralph Louis Cohen (born 1952), American mathematician
Ralph Connor (1860–1937), Canadian novelist and church leader
Ralph Connor (scientist) (1907–1990), American chemist
Ralph Cook (born 1944), Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
Ralph Cooperman (1927–2009), British Olympic fencer
Ralph D. Cornell (1890–1972), American landscape architect
Ralph Cudworth (1572/3–1624), English scholar, cleric and theologian (father of Ralph Cudworth)
Ralph Cudworth (1617–1688), English philosopher, theologian, the leader of the Cambridge Platonists
Ralph DeLoach (1957–2022), American football player
Ralph Della-Volpe (1923–2017), American painter, teacher
Ralph Drollinger (born 1954), American basketball player and clergyman
Ralph Earl (1751–1801), American painter known for his portraits
Ralph Earle, several people
Ralph Earnhardt (1928–1973), American racing driver and patriarch of the Earnhardt racing family
Ralph Edwards (disambiguation)
Ralph Ellison (1913–1994), American novelist, literary critic and scholar
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803—1882), American essayist, lecturer and poet
Ralph Emery (1933–2022), American country music disc jockey, radio and television host
Ralph Fiennes (born 1962), English actor and director
Ralph Foster (disambiguation)
Ralph A. Gamble (1885–1959), Republican politician who represented Westchester County, New York in the United States House of Representatives
Ralph Goldstein (1913–1997), American Olympic épée fencer
Ralph E. Gomory (born 1929), American applied mathematician and IBM executive
Ralph Heywood (1921–2007), American football player
Ralph Holley (born 1999), American football player
Ralph Horween (1896–1997), American football player for Harvard Crimson and in the NFL, centenarian
Ralf Hütter (born 1946), German musician
Ralph Ince (1887–1937), American pioneer film actor, director and screenwriter
Ralph Isselhardt (1910–1972), American football player
Ralph B. Ives (1973–1934), American businessman
Ralph Jackson (disambiguation)
Ralph Jarvis (born 1965), American player of gridiron football
Ralph Jodice, American Air force General, one of the principal commanders of 2011 military intervention in Libya and Operation Unified Protector
Ralph Johnson (disambiguation)
Ralph Jones (1880–1951), American high school and college football and basketball coach
Ralph Kaminski (born 1990), Polish singer-songwriter
Ralph Kerr (1891–1941), officer in the Royal Navy who served in First and Second World Wars, one of the principal commanders of Battle of the Denmark Strait
Ralph Kiner (1922–2014), American Hall-of-Fame Major League Baseball player
Ralph Klein (1942–2013), Canadian politician, Premier of Alberta
Ralph Klein (basketball) (1931–2008), Israeli basketball player and coach
Ralph Knibbs (born 1964), British rugby union player
Ralph Kuncl, American neurologist and academic
Ralph Lauren (born 1939), American fashion designer
Ralph Maxwell Lewis (1904–1987), American Rosicrucian
Ralph Liguori (1926–2020), American racing driver
Ralph Macchio (born 1961), American actor
Ralph Malone (born 1964), American football player
Ralph McQuarrie (1929–2012), American conceptual designer and illustrator, noted for his work in the Star Wars trilogy
Ralph Michael (1907–1994), English actor
Ralf Moeller (born 1959), German actor
Ralph Morgan (1883–1956), American actor
Ralph Morgan (rugby) (c.1920–2009), Welsh rugby union and league player
Ralph Morton (1896–1985), puisne judge of the High Court of Southern Rhodesia
Ralph Nader (born 1934), American political activist, author, lecturer and attorney
Ralph Nichols (1910–2001), English badminton player
Ralph Nichols (American football) (1874–1949), American politician and college football player and head coach
Ralph Northam (born 1959), American politician
Ralph O. Olson (1902–1955), associate justice of the Washington Supreme Court
Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland (born 1956), English landowner
Ralph "Bucky" Phillips (born 1962), American fugitive
Ralf Rangnick (born 1958), German football coach and manager
Ralph Recto (born 1964), Filipino politician
Ralph David Richardson (1902–1983), English actor
Ralph Sadler (1507–1587), English diplomat, Privy Councillor, Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Ralph Savarese (born 1960s), American academic, writer, poet, and activist
Ralf Schumacher (born 1975), German former racing driver
Ralph Sheheen (born 1964), motorsport broadcaster
Ralph Shortey, (born 1982) American politician
Ralph Siegel (born 1945), German record producer and songwriter
Ralph F. Smart, (1908–2001) British film producer and director
Ralf Socher (born 1967), Canadian alpine skier
Ralph Stanley (1927–2016), American bluegrass/traditional music performer
Ralph Terry (1936–2022), American former professional baseball player and golfer
Ralph Dundas Tindal, Dutch military leader
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958), English composer
Ralph A. Vaughn (1907–2000), African-American academic, architect and film set designer
Ralph Waite (1928–2014), American actor and political activist
Ralph Waller (born 1945), Methodist Minister, former Principal of Harris-Manchester College, Oxford, former Pro-Vice Chancellor of Oxford University
Ralph Wammack (1867–1945), American politician, Missouri senator
Ralph Webb (American football) (born 1994), American football player
Ralph Welker (1911-1981), American politician
Ralph Wilson (1918–2014), founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills National Football League team
Ralf Wolter (1926–2022), German actor
Ralph Yarborough (1903–1996), American politician, longtime senator from Texas
Ralph Young (disambiguation)
Ralph Young (singer) (1918–2008), American singer and actor
Ralph Tanaka Magara (2001-date), Zimbabwean

Surname

Bo Ralph (born 1945), Swedish linguist
Brian Ralph (born 1973), American cartoonist
Caleb Ralph (born 1977), New Zealand rugby union footballer
Damani Ralph (born 1980), Jamaican football player
David Ralph (born 1972), Scottish field hockey forward
Dicky Ralph (1908–1989), Welsh international rugby player
Elena Ralph (born 1984), Miss Israel 2005
Elsie Reasoner Ralph (1878–1913), first female war correspondent in US history
Francis James Ralph (1892–1918), British World War I aerial observer flying ace
Glencora Ralph (born 1988), Australian water polo player
Hanna Ralph (1888–1978), German actress
J. Ralph (born 1975), American composer, singer/songwriter and producer
Josh Ralph (athlete) (born 1991), Australian athlete
James Ralph (died 1762), American-born English political writer, historian and reviewer
James Ralph (cricketer) (born 1975), English cricketer
Jessie Ralph (1864–1944), American actress
Jolyon Ralph, founder of the mineral database mindat.org in 1993
Kharis Ralph (born 1992), Canadian former ice dancer
Mark Ralph (field hockey) (born 1980), Scottish field hockey player
Michael Ralph (born c.1963), American actor and comedian
Nathan Ralph (born 1993), English footballer
Richard Ralph (born 1946), British ambassador
Richard Ralph (Missouri politician), American politician, Missouri senator
Shea Ralph (born 1978), American basketball player and coach
Sheryl Lee Ralph (born 1956), American actress and singer

Fictional characters

Ralph Cifaretto, on The Sopranos
Ralph Furley, on Three's Company
Ralph Kramden, portrayed by Jackie Gleason on The Honeymooners
Ralph Malph, on Happy Days
Ralph Wiggum, on The Simpsons
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
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, a dog in the animated film Balto III: Wings of Change
Ralph "Ralphie" Parker, main character/narrator of the 1983 Christmas movie A Christmas Story
Ralph, a giant wolf monster from the video game Rampage
The title character from the children's novel The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Ralph Nickleby, uncle of Nicholas in the novel Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
Ralph Rackstraw in the comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore
Sir Ralph Shawcross from the TV series You Rang, M'Lord?
Ralph Waldo Simpson, a character on the American television sitcom Gimme a Break
Ralph Hinkley "Hankley" from the TV series The Greatest American Hero
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 Detroit: Become Human
Ralf Olsen and Ralf Senior, from the manga series No\Name