Ralph

Contracted form of the Old Norse name RÁÐÚLFR (or its Norman form Radulf). Scandinavian settlers introduced it to England before the Norman conquest, though afterwards it was bolstered by Norman influence. In the Middle Ages it was usually spelled Ralf, but by the 17th century it was most commonly Rafe, reflecting the normal pronunciation. The Ralph spelling appeared in the 18th century. A famous bearer of the name was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American poet and author who wrote on transcendentalism.

RáDúLFR   male   Ancient Scandinavian
Derived from the Norse elements ráð meaning "counsel" and úlfr meaning "wolf".
EQUIVALENTS
ANCIENT GERMANIC: Radulf
ANCIENT SCANDINAVIAN: Ráðúlfr
DANISH: Ralf, Ralph
ENGLISH: Rafe, Ralf, Ralph
FRENCH: Raoul
GERMAN: Ralf, Ralph
ITALIAN: Raoul, Raul
NORWEGIAN: Ralf, Ralph
PORTUGUESE: Raul
SPANISH: Raúl
SWEDISH: Ralf, Ralph
DIMINUTIVES AND SHORT FORMS
ENGLISH: Ralphie