Ralf

Ralf is a Germanic given name derived from the elements rad, meaning counsel or advice, and wulf, meaning wolf, together conveying the sense of a wise or counseling wolf. It entered Old English as Rædwulf and Old Norse as Ráðúlfr, eventually developing into the medieval Latin form Radulfus and spreading widely across Europe. The anglicized form Ralph shares the same roots and has long been used alongside Ralf in German-speaking countries, while Raoul represents the French cognate. The name was carried to Britain by Normans after the Conquest and remained in common use throughout the medieval period.