Comments for the name Ralph

My grandfather was named Ralph. And, because he passed away a few months before I was born, my mom wanted to name me after him. Though my grandmother convinced her not to.

Fasion designer Ralph Lauren. Although Ralph, just to me, sounds like something you would name a dog but not a child.

Jackie Gleason was famous for playing Ralph Kramden on the old T.V. show "The Honeymooners." Also, John Goodman played a man reluctantly crowned King of England in the movie "King Ralph."

Actor Ralph Fiennes is a famous bearer, and one who pronounces it RAYF.

The MOST famous bearer of this name was Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American author, poet, and philosopher. He wrote of Transcendentalism, loved nature and inspired many people to become non-conformist.

Ralph Wiggum, from The Simpsons series.

Ralph (pronounced Rafe) Vaughan Williams is a famous English composer.

Gonzo illustrator, Ralph Steadman is a famous bearer.

'Ralph S. Mouse' comes to mind.

There's a character named Ralph Lanyon in the book The Charioteer by Mary Renault. He's a love interest of Laurie (Laurence), the hero.

Ralph is the name of the main character in William Golding's novel "The Lord of the Flies".

I had always believed my mother when she said she named my older brother Ralph for her father, and my younger brother Chuck for our next door neighbor, who saved her life. Then I got pregnant and discovered the REAL reason why she did it.

I can't believe no one has mentioned Ralph Maccio. He played Johnny Cade in The Outsiders movie.

Ralph Macchio is the actor who stars in THE KARATE KID movies.

I like this name. I think it would be great on a little boy. I can’t believe nobody has mentioned the great actor Ralph Richardson, he was an eccentric, and whenever I see him in a film he always makes me laugh. Because of this I think of the name belonging to a bright eyed little boy who is full of energy and is loved by everyone.

I don't much like the usual American pronunciation of this name, but the British version ('RAYF') is okay.

I love this name pronounced the traditional British way [RAYF]. The [RALF] pronunciation sounds like a little yappy dog barking.

Sir Ralph Richardson, British actor. Though he was British, I believe he used the "American" pronunciation. (At least, I have heard Britishers pronounce his name this way.)

A famous bearer is Ashkenanzi Jewish fashion designer Ralph Lifshitz (Lauren), who was born at 14 October 1939, New York, NY.

I really dislike the pronunciation "ralf" but I love the "rayf" pronunciation. Ralph is one of my favorite names.

The British pronunciation "rayf" is one of my favorite names but I'm not a fan of "ralf". It reminds me of people throwing up because of the slang term. All my friends think "rayf" sounds too much like rape but I still think it's an awesome name.

I'm not sure where people are getting the 'Britishest' way of pronouncing Ralf 'Rayf'. The majority of my fellow brits would pronounce this name the same as Americans, unless they are amazingly pretentious.

I love the name Ralf but although I love Ralf Wiggum I'm not sure he's the type of person I would want someone to think of when they heard my child's name.

This name reminds me of an old man. I think this name should be used for middle names only.

I absolutely loathe this name. It's ugly, and it always makes me envision a fat, hairy, balding, sleazy middle-aged man. It also reminds me of the dimwitted kid on the Simpsons.

Sir Ralph was Gisburne's rival and my personal favorite character in Robin of Sherwood.

Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifshitz on 14th October, 1939) is an Russian-American fashion designer and business executive.

Should be pronounced the traditional English RAY f. Not the dog vomiting RAL f. It's Americanised and modern. It's also a shame RAY f is labeled pretentious and that many British use the damned awful RAL f now. *retches* I'd take pretentious (and better sounding) over vomiting any time.

I like Ralph pronounced RALF. It probably has a lot to do with "A Christmas Story", but I think it sounds cool. I like Ralphie too.

Hip-to-be-square families who name their daughters Mabel or Agnes should consider reviving Ralph for their sons.

I like either pronunciation, but if you like the sound of "Rafe," why not spell it that way?

I named my chiweenie after Jackie Gleason on the Honeymooners, the Karate Kid movies, & Lord of the Flies. But most importantly, after the main character in A Christmas Story. "Ralphie" is a cute variation of "Ralph" I think.

Ralph Waldo Ellison, author of "Invisible Man."

Ralph Nader is a famous political activist. He ran for president many times, including the most recent election (2008).

Ralph Vaughan-Williams, one of the greatest English composers.

Ralph Malph, played by Don Most, was a friend of Richie and Potsie in 'Happy Days'.

I like this name, but it makes me think of the hilarious Ralph Wiggum. I don't get why people insist on the non-intuitive RAYF pronunciation. RALF may not be as "British", but it makes more sense than RAYF (which sounds like it should be short for Raphael).

This is my dog's name. Apparently my parents always joked about naming a kid Ralph because of the slang meaning. So our dog ended up with the name instead. I really can't think of it as a human name anymore... the closest thing that sounds human to me is Rolf. Either way I like the "Ralph" pronunciation best. "Rafe" sounds odd.

The name's alright. I don't get how you can pronounce it like "rafe" though.

Ralph has become a common name in Germany, both written Ralph and Ralf, yet I've never read Rahlf.

Radulfr, I agree, sounds awesome, yet I wouldn't do it to a child.

I would not recommend the "rayf" pronunciation, it sounds snobbish and will get mispronounced often, also it sounds like the word rape.

It sounds sloppy. Also, it reminds me of a dog.. :/

An Old English name I think?

It should be quite a nice name, perhaps implying a sense of history & class. However it seems to get a bashing in popular culture for some reason.

I know I'm not the only person who will never see this name the same way again after reading Judy Blume's famous book Forever. For those who don't know, the boyfriend in the book names his male member Ralph, and he and his girlfriend take this totally seriously and often refer to it by "name." Ugh.

Ralph de Bricassart was a character in the novel "The Thorn Birds".