boy's name
Ronnie
RON-ee
- Origin Norse
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 211,037
England and Wales
#39
2025 births
Ronnie is a name of Old Norse origin meaning "ruler's counsel." It is a pet form of Ronald, from Rögnvaldr, and is also used for girls as a short form of Veronica — an unrelated name meaning "true image."
- Ronnie is a name of Norse origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1947, when 6,382 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 403 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1902.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ronnie over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1900s to 2020s. Ronnie is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 31 |
| 1910s | 222 |
| 1920s | 619 |
| 1930s | 9,061 |
| 1940s | 44,321 |
| 1950s | 52,878 |
| 1960s | 35,656 |
| 1970s | 19,053 |
| 1980s | 12,091 |
| 1990s | 7,581 |
| 2000s | 4,520 |
| 2010s | 3,329 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,757 |
What Ronnie means
Ronnie means counsel of the ruler when it comes from Ronald. Used for girls it usually stands for Veronica instead, which means true image and shares nothing with the Norse name.
Where Ronnie comes from
Ronnie shortens Ronald, the Scots form of the Old Norse Rögnvaldr, from regin, counsel or the gods, and valdr, ruler. Norse settlement in Scotland and the Isles brought the name, and it stayed strongly Scottish for centuries before spreading. The girls' Ronnie is a separate story: Veronica comes from the Latin vera icon, true image, referring to the cloth said to have borne the face of Christ, and its pet form arrived at the same spelling by coincidence.
Ronnie in use
Our data records Ronnie for both sexes and shows it stable, peaking in 1947, at 39 in England and Wales against 1,064 in the United States. The name's current British revival is the second time it has been popular — it was a mainstream choice in the 1940s before disappearing for two generations.
How popular is Ronnie?
In 2025, Ronnie was given to 1,309 babies in England and Wales, ranking #39 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Ronnie is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ronnie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ronnie also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ronnie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Ronnie
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ronnie in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ronnie
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ronnie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ronnie
What does the name Ronnie mean?
"Ruler's counsel," from the Old Norse Rögnvaldr, by way of Ronald.
Is Ronnie a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. For boys it shortens Ronald; for girls it usually shortens Veronica, which is an unrelated name.
Is Ronald a Scottish name?
The root is Old Norse, but Ronald is the Scots form and the name was strongly Scottish for centuries.
How popular is the name Ronnie?
In 2025, Ronnie was given to 1,309 babies in England and Wales, ranking #39 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
How many syllables are in Ronnie?
Ronnie has 2 syllables.
When was Ronnie most popular?
Ronnie peaked in 1947, when 6,382 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Ronnie?
Ronnie is usually shortened to Ron, Ronny and Roni.
Is Ronnie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ronnie currently ranks #39 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.