Ranulf was a masculine given name in Old French and Old Occitan, and is a masculine
given name in the
English language. Ranulf was introduced into
England by the
Norman conquest or alternatively is said to have been introduced to
Scotland and northern
England, by Scandinavian settlers in
Early Middle Ages.[1] However, most earliest historical figures with this name originated on the continent. It is derived from the
West Germanic name Raginulf, Raginolf.[2] This
West Germanicpersonal name is composed of two elements: the first, RAGN > ragin, means "advice", "decision" ;[2] the second element, (w)ulf / (w)olf, means "
wolf".[2] or alternatively the Old Norse name Reginúlfr is based on the Old Norse variant forms reginn and úlfr.[1] The
Old Occitan anthroponym Ranulf (Ramnulf, Rannulf) does not contain exactly the same first element, but hram, short form of
Gothichrabns "raven".[3]
Ranulf, an additional natural son of Henry I of England in
Sharon Kay Penman's Plantagenet series. The meticulous research for which Penman is noted extends to the names of minor characters. Completely fictional characters in her books are rare and are always identified in her author's notes. They serve as devices to illustrate aspects of medieval life, to reveal information, or to bridge gaps in knowledge, especially when such revelations would be out of character for the historical figures in her novels.[4]
^Marie-Thérèse Morlet, "Études d'anthroponymie occitane : les noms de personne de l’obituaire de Moissac (suite)" in Revue internationale d'onomastique, 1958, 10-1, p. 44 (read online)
[3]
This page or section lists people that share the same
given name. If an
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