Randolph
An old Germanic surname meaning “shield-wolf,” built from elements for a shield edge and a wolf.
The #840 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,507 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Randolph goes back to a very old Germanic personal name made from two elements: rand, meaning the edge or boss of a shield, and wulf, meaning wolf. In early medieval forms, the name appears as Randulf, Randolf, and related spellings, all carrying the sense of a warrior-style compound name. The surname later developed from use of that given name.
History
The name is well attested in medieval England and the wider Germanic world, and it became established as a hereditary surname through descent from men called Randolph, Randulf, or similar forms. English sources also show shortened and altered forms such as Randle and related nicknames, especially in regional families. The surname has remained in use in Britain and later spread widely to North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The first element, rand, originally referred to the rim or edge of a shield, so the name has a distinctly martial flavor.
From the historical record
“RAN DOLF 1 (Teut.) the O.L.Ger. Rand{w)ulf, RANDOLPH O.N.Rondi2l/-r = Shield- Wolf RANDULF rO.L.Ger. rand = O.H.Ger. rant RANDULPH-' (mod. H.Ger. rand) = O.N. rond = O.E- rand, the edge or the boss of a shield, a shiel4 + O.L.Ger. wulf *= O.H.Ger. wolf = O.N. Mf-r.= O.E. wulf,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)