Gender Masculine Derivation regin + valr | Language(s) Old Norse | |
Language(s) Old Irish, Middle Irish/Middle Gaelic Word/name Røgnvaldr, Rǫgnvaldr, Rögnvaldr Meaning "advice", "decision" + "ruler" | ||
Ragnall, Raghnall, Raonall, and Raonull are masculine personal names or given names in several Gaelic languages.
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Ragnall occurs in Old Irish, and Middle Irish/Middle Gaelic. It is a Gaelicised form of the Old Norse Røgnvaldr, Rǫgnvaldr, Rögnvaldr. This Old Norse name is composed of two elements: regin, meaning "advice", "decision"; and valr, meaning "ruler". It has also been suggested that Ragnall could also represent the Old Norse Ragnarr as well. Ragnall can be Anglicised as Ranald, and Latinised as Reginald, Reginaldus.
The modern spelling is Raghnall in Scottish Gaelic and either Raghnall or Raonull in Irish. Anglicised forms of Raghnall include: Ranald, Randal, Rannal, and Ronald. Note that while Randal is commonly used as an Anglicised form of the Gaelic name, it is etymologically unrelated.
The final -ll sound of the Gaelic names are de-vocalized, and to non-Gaelic-speakers this suggests -d sound. In this way the name is similar to the various forms of the Gaelic Domhnall, which can be Anglicised as Donald.