| ![Show Contents]() Ralf History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The surname Ralf is derived from the personal name Rodolf which is in turn, developed from the Germanic personal name Hrodulf, which consists of the two elements "hrod" and "ulf". The initial element "hrod" derives from the Gothic "hrotheigs" meaning "victorious" or the Old High German "hrod" meaning "fame, price, reward". The second element "ulf" derives from the Old High German "wolf" meaning "wolf". The personal name Hrodulf and its modern form of Ralf, is actually the Low German form of Rudolf and was popular since the Middle Ages, due to spread of admiration to the Emperor Rudolf von Habsburg in the thirteenth century. Early Origins of the Ralf familyThe surname Ralf was first found in Hamburg where the Rolf and Rahlf variants were typically found. The Rohlf(s) variant was typically found in the Lower Germany. 1 All variants ultimately trace their name origin to the Christian name Rudolph, and its pet-form Rolf, which are of Old Germanic origin and can be translated literally as 'Famous Wolf'. Saint Rodulf (died 866), was the Archbishop of Bourges from 840 until his death and Rudolph of France (c. 890-936), was the King of France from 923 until his death in 936. In Latin documents, his name is typically seen as Rodulfus. Rudolf I (1218-1291) was the first King of Germany from the House of Habsburg and reigned from 1273 until his death in 1291. Upon his father's death, he inherited large estates around the ancestral seat of Habsburg Castle in the Aargau region of present-day Switzerland as well as in Alsace. Early History of the Ralf familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ralf research. Another 42 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1025, 1057, 1079, 1080, 1232, 1270, 1282, 1283, 1290, 1333, 1390, 1406 and 1667 are included under the topic Early Ralf History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ralf Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Rolf, Rolfs, Rolfness, Rolfsen, Roleff, Roloff, Rohlf, Rohlfs, Rahlf and many more. Early Notables of the Ralf familyNotables bearing the name Ralf of this period include Count Rudolph (or Rudolf) of Ponthieu (died 866), the son of Welf (also Hwelf or Welf I) by Hedwig of Bavaria. Rudolph II (c. 880- 937), was a member of the Elder House of Welf and was King of Burgundy from 912 until his death. Rudolf of Rheinfelden...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ralf Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Ralf (post 1700) | + |
- Ralf Wolter (1926-2022), German stage and screen actor who appeared in nearly 220 films and television series in his over 60 years as a character actor
- Ralf "Bummi" Bursy (1956-2022), East German-born, German pop and rock singer and music producer
- Ralf Hütter (b. 1946), German musician and composer best known as the lead singer, keyboardist, founding member and leader of Kraftwerk
- Ralf Waldmann (1966-2018), German Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who had 50 wins; he died from a suspected heart attack at the age of 51
- Ralf Bödeker (b. 1958), former German footballer
- Ralf Wienand (b. 1963), West German sprint canoer at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Ralf Popken (b. 1962), German countertenor
- Ralf Salzmann (b. 1955), German former long-distance Olympic runner who competed in the 1980s
- Ralf Sonn (b. 1967), retired German high jumper
- Ralf Tyra (b. 1958), German Lutheran theologian and pastor
- Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
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